ESCONDIDO, Calif. — The Escondido community and parents who've lost their loved ones to fentanyl united for a special fundraising event benefiting ‘A New Path, Parents for Addiction treatment and Healing.’ Players hit the rink for the first 'Puck Fentanyl Hockey Tournament.'
“If we can get to one person from not overdosing or fentanyl poisoning then that's what we're here for,” Puck Fentanyl Tournament Co-organizer Lisa Arnell said.
The goal was to fundraise and bring awareness to the dangers of fentanyl especially when it comes to teenagers and young adults.
“One bad decision changed our family's life forever and I just don't want anyone to have to suffer,” organizer Heather Ridout said.
Ridout’s son Spencer died after taking Xanax that was laced with fentanyl. As a way to honor her son, Ridout joined forces with the hockey community and ‘A New Path’ to prevent this tragedy from repeating. This event also gave other parents who share the same grief a space to heal.
“My kid started opioids because he had a football injury and that's where it all began,” Arnell said.
The organization ‘A New Path, Parents for Addiction treatment and Healing’ provided Narcan for the community. It's a life-saving drug that can help people during an opioid overdose, a resource that's crucial in an emergency situation.
“We want to get this everywhere because you cannot hurt anyone with this, no one OD’s (overdoses) on it, nobody gets high on it, and you can't hurt anybody all it can do is save a life,” A New Path, Parents for Addiction treatment and Healing, Narcan training & Distribution Elon Burns said.
Organizers hope they can continue to spread the message on the dangers of this drug and host this event for years to come.
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