EASTHAMPTON — To honor and remember those who have lost their lives to opioid overdose, community members united for a candlelight vigil to honor their loved ones.
A hum spread throughout members of the crowd as Peter Babineau, director of Learn to Cope West, asked the crowd to turn to one another, and, whether they knew their neighbor or not, tell them about someone they had loved and lost.
He asked the crowd to remember everything about that person: the glint in their eyes, their smiles, the silly times, the difficult times and the milestones.
“When we lose someone to this epidemic, we lose all of those things,” Babineau said. “Sometimes we even lose those things before they pass away. It’s so important that we remember all of that. Perhaps that we even celebrate that even after their passing. What we’re here for tonight is to remember these people.”
The crowd of roughly 100 people gathered for the vigil at Millside Park in Easthampton on Monday night, organized by the Easthampton Health Department to spread awareness of opioid overdose and addiction. The event is one of several such remembrances that take place during the last week of August worldwide to reduce stigma, increase awareness of the prevalence of overdose deaths, and support those struggling with the disease. Amherst held a similar gathering on Wednesday, Northampton will hold one on Thursday and Holyoke has one scheduled for Friday.
At the Easthampton event, several people who have suffered a death in their families due to opioid overdose shared their stories, joined by government officials including Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby and City Councilor At-Large Brad Riley, and state Sen. John Velis of Westfield.
Tables including Hampshire Hope, Support After a Death by Overdose, Northampton Recovery Center and more lined the walkway offering support resources, information, Narcan training and a space to talk.
“Overdose awareness day is about remembering the lives of the people we have lost and those who are struggling, and reminding each other that no one has to face this alone,” said Derby. “Easthampton is a place for you and a place that cares.”
Derby looked back to when one of his friends moved away after graduating high school. Shortly after, that friend died at college from an overdose. The memory shaped his life in many ways that are still present, inspiring Derby’s work as a health and wellness teacher at Northampton High School.
In his remarks, Velis hopes that one day at this time of year, he can pull out his phone and not find someone in his contact list that has not died from an overdose. “I wish I can tell you that’s this year, but it’s not,” said Velis.
Velis recalled the day his life changed, Feb. 20, 2017, when he stopped drinking and using drugs. He said if he did not stop, he would not have been speaking at the podium as a state senator.
As the chairman of the state’s Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, Velis is well-versed on the issue of addiction and opioid use in the state. He asked those in attendance to understand how crucial it is to reduce stigma that surrounds treatment for addiction, an issue that prevents people from seeking treatment methods.
“In 2025 in America, in Massachusetts, there are still people out there that for whatever reason will not raise their hand to say, what in my humble opinion are the three hardest words for any human being to say, but also the three most courageous, ‘I need help,'” said Velis.
It’s important to realize we’re having the same common problem to share a common solution.
Northampton Recovery Center Volunteer Coordinator, Dan Bickford
He also spoke about the necessity to continue programs that help implement harm reduction, questioning why there have been recent funding rollbacks for harm reduction programs.
A son lost
“As we honor our loved ones my goal today is simple. My goal is for everyone here to know that you are not alone. Whether you have lost a loved one, have someone or are yourself in addiction, we are here for all of you,” said David Swindell, whose son Christopher died from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
Chris Swindell was a star soccer player playing at a competitive level in the state, nationally and collegiately. His father called him the jokester of the family and a positive leader on and off the field. He never gave up and continued to play despite an extensive history with injuries, part of what David Swindell attributes toward his struggle with opioids.
“Chris suffered many injuries, broken bones starting at an early age,” David said. “It got to the point where we took Chris to a specialist and had tests run because we couldn’t figure it out. They all came back normal and they just said ‘he’s just one of those kids.’ Back then narcotics were quickly prescribed in order to ease the pain and get them to move on.”
A Milford resident, David remembered the night of July 13, 2018 when his wife Karen called him saying, “Chris is gone.” The two heard numerous stories about Chris in the wake of his death, showing that their son was truly never afraid to look out for people who needed it the most. David recalled a story he heard from a friend of Chris’ whose friendship grew after he helped pick up their books in the school hallway.
To honor Chris after he died, Chris’ Corner Recovery Center in Milford was created through federal grant funding. It is an extension of a regional substance navigation program that provides recovery oriented care and support to help individuals, children, and families with mental health and substance use disorders. David now acts as the director of engagement at The Sun Will Rise Foundation of Braintree, a peer grief support group for those who have experienced the death of someone close to them due to substance use.
Research has shown deaths from opioid overdose have been declining in the United States and Massachusetts. According to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States there were 30,000 fewer deaths from drug overdoses in 2024 than there were in 2023. Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts decreased by 10% in 2023 compared to 2022 — the largest single-year decline since 2009-2010, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
In Easthampton, only two people died from opioid overdose in 2024, according to Hampshire Hope Coordinator Lauren Kelly. Hampshire Hope is a multi-sector coalition addressing the rise in prescription opioid misuse, under the Northampton Department of Health and Human Services.
“For me, my grief will last my lifetime,” said Wendy Werbiskis, whose son Danny died from overdose in 2017. “It is no longer constant and consuming but it is always there. It is not like any other loss … After Danny died everybody tried their best to say the right thing. I know that everybody meant well and I never got upset with anybody but unless you lost your child you cannot begin to understand how it feels.”
To end the vigil, the crowd joined together holding candles close to their hearts, while Babineau played guitar and sang into the night.
While speaking about his son, Chris, David Swindell quoted poet Maya Angelou, who said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said. People may forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”
