The Rossmoor Community Services District will host a Fentanyl Awareness Night at Rush Park to make residents aware of what has become one of the largest killers of teenagers in Orange County.
According to Sgt. Brian Gunsolley, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the event will be held Nov. 16 from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Gunsolley spoke to the Rossmoor CSD Board of Directors meeting Tuesday, saying the department decided to get involved after Rossmoor resident Kimi Nilsen reached out to say she wanted to put on an event to make residents aware of Fentanyl’s dangers.
“She came to us and said look, I’m very passionate about this. I really want to do fentanyl awareness for my community,” he told the board.
Gunsolley said the Orange County Healthcare Agency will participate along with friends of Nilsen who have had personal experiences with the drug.
Gunsolley said the OC Healthcare Agency will be on hand to provide free Narcan to participants. Officials say Narcan, or Naloxone, is the only known treatment for Fentanyl poisoning.
Nilsen said she decided to get involved to protect her two sons, but she’s committed. “This is going to be an ongoing thing because I’m here to make a difference and this is my calling,” she said.
Perla Mendoza, the founder of Project Eli, who lost her son to a Fentanyl incident, said she will be part of a separate Fentanyl Town Hall at Rush Park on Nov. 8, scheduled from 5 – 6 p.m. It will feature Los Almatios Mayor Tanya Doby and RCSD President Tony Demarco.
She said the event will explain the Fentanyl crisis, offer safety tips for the holidays and free Narcan will be distributed to the Town Hall participants.