Franklin Street Harm Reduction and Thurston County are hosting an Overdose Awareness Day gathering Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Olympia to memorialize people who have died from overdose.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 704 Franklin St. SE, the home of Franklin Street Harm Reduction.
Organizers are bringing together local community partners for art projects, camaraderie and what they describe as a day of community care.
The gathering comes days after the Olympia City Council proclaimed Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day.
At the council's Aug. 25 meeting, members read the proclamation aloud, emphasizing that no community in Washington is untouched by overdose and that overdose deaths are preventable.
"Every overdose is preventable," Christina McVeigh, co-director of Franklin Street Harm Reduction, told the council at that Aug. 25 meeting.
Council member Robert Vanderpool called Franklin Street Harm Reduction a "hub for a lot of services," citing its role in addressing homelessness, health and safety across the region.
Council member Kelly Green said repeated public education about overdose prevention prompted her to start carrying naloxone. She compared the opioid overdose reversal medication to CPR training.
Overdose remains a persistent challenge in Thurston County. A Guardian analysis published in October 2025 found that overdose fatalities in the county increased 6% between the peak of the crisis and December 2024, the most recent county-level data available.
Katie Strozyk, who manages the county's opioid and overdose response program, told the Guardian in October 2025 that county surveys show many residents primarily use methamphetamine but struggle to find treatment because resources are directed toward opioids.
Franklin Street Harm Reduction described the Sept. 2 gathering as a festive day of remembrance in an Aug. 30 social media post. The organization lists local resources at franklinstreetharmreduction.org.
Residents can also reach the Recovery Help Line at 1-800-789-1511 or visit stopoverdose.org for naloxone access and training information.
