Fighting 'the devil in their backyard.' Drug march planned in Ravenna
A drug march will take place in Ravenna Saturday to raise awareness of drug addiction.
The march will take place at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The march is sponsored by Children Always Resisting Enemies and the Midnight Cry Team at United Church of Jesus Christ in Ravenna.
The event will begin at the Portage County Courthouse steps. The group also will march to Maple Grove Cemetery, about 1.4 miles away, at the end of the event.
Deseree Perry of CARE said the group hosted its first anti-drug marches in 2005. Since then, she said, other groups had similar events, and CARE supported them.
The event will include speakers, prayers and refreshments at the courthouse lawn. Bishop Kenneth Newton of the United Church of Jesus Christ in Kentucky, will be one of the speakers. Toiletries also will be collected to be distributed to homeless people.
Anyone is welcome to come, bring signs and participate in the march. Donations, including items to give to people in need, will be accepted.
A DJ will play music, and booths will be set up offering items for sale and information on where to get help.
In April, an unprecedented spike of overdose deaths sparked a public health alert. Portage County Coroner Dean DePerro blamed a bad batch of fentanyl. Agencies made people aware of free Project Dawn kits and fentanyl test strips and put out the word to tell people where help was available.
Perry said the group has long been concerned about drugs, and about drug dealers from the Cleveland and Detroit area bringing drugs to Portage County.
"Enough is enough," she said. "We need these people out of our community."
Local groups, she said, need to find a better way to help those fighting addiction.
"You shouldn't have to go to Akron to get better help," she said. "When you have heroin in your community, it's like having the devil in your backyard. We still got a lot of people who need help."
The Midnight Cry, sponsored by the United Church of Jesus Christ, is a special service offering testimonies of people who have overcome drug addiction and issues of life. The church started the Midnight Cry after hearing stories of local families affected by drug addiction, including many who have lost loved ones to overdoses.
"We all got to stick together," Perry said.
Those who have questions about the event may call or text Perry at 330-296-7463.
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Drug addiction awareness march planned in Ravenna Aug. 19
