Flagler County residents walk over the bridge in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day

Many of the participants remembered their loved ones who had died of an overdose.

By Brent Woronoff
| 11:58 a.m. September 4, 2023

Meg Parker, left, walked over the bridge in memory of her son, Daniel Parker. Tressie Paytas walked in memory of her son, Tim Paytas. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Tabitha Wilkins with her son Kayden. Tabitha's twin sister, Jillian Zuniga, died a year from fentanyl poisoning. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Participants gather at Wadsworth Park on Aug. 31 before walking over the Flagler Beach bridge to Veterans Park in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Participants in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day walk over the Flagler Beach bridge on Aug. 31. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Todd Frenier, the campus pastor at Salty Church in Flagler Beach, leads the group in prayer before their walk over the bridge to veterans Park. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Participants in the International Overdose Awareness Day event at Veterans Park named loved ones they have lost to overdose deaths. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Anna Tossel and Tressie Paytas. Tossel founded Sealed Lips Destroy which provides addiction, domestic violence and mental health awareness and peer support. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Shelia Hinds walked over the bridge in memory of Daniel Parker. "He always had a good spirit. You miss that a lot," Hinds said. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Shelia Hinds walks in memory of Daniel Parker. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney walks with participants of the International Overdose Awareness Day event as they cross Moody Boulevard on the way to Veterans Park. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Michael Fledbauer, president of the Flagler County Drug Court Foundation, said the biggest issue is stigmatism. Photo by Brent Woronoff

Renee DeAngelis at Veterans Park in Flagler Beach on International Overdose Awareness Day. Photo by Brent Woronoff

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Some participants walked over the Flagler Beach bridge in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31 to celebrate their years in recovery. Others walked in memory of loved ones who lost their lives to overdoses.

The Flagler County Drug Court Foundation sponsored the event, which began at Wadsworth Park and ended with a gathering of more than 30 across the bridge at Veterans Park.

Todd Frenier, campus pastor at Salty Church in Flagler Beach, delivered a prayer at each site.

Michael Fedlbauer, the president of the Flagler County Drug Court Foundation, noted that several people in recovery were in attendance. "We pray, and we thank God that they're here standing with us," he said.

Feldbauer said the biggest issue is stigma, "and we need to fight that." He noted that Flagler County has one of the highest overdose death rates in the state.

"We have to wake up our neighbors," he said. "Now with the fentanyl crisis, people are dying by pure accident."

Narcan nasal spray, which rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose, was handed out. Renee DeAngelis spoke about the importance of education. Her daughter died of a fentanyl overdose six years ago. She has been working with the Drug Court Foundation and the Flagler County Opioid Task Force since 2018 educating the community about Narcan and the addiction problem.

Tabitha Wilkins attended the event in memory of her twin sister, Jillian Zuniga, who died last year at age 22 of a fentanyl overdose. Meg Parker walked over the bridge in honor of her son, Daniel Parker. Tressie Paytas walked in memory of her son, Tim Paytas.

Kim Schattner, one of two members of the Flagler County Drug Court team who are in recovery themselves, said she hoped the circle of people remembering their loved ones "doesn't grow any bigger than it is now."