With the provincial rate of paramedic-attended overdoses increasing four fold in the last three years, the Okanagan Nation Alliance is taking to the roads with a caravan to raise awareness and promote education for addiction issues.
The “Purple Ribbon Campaign Caravan” starts its journey Tuesday, Aug. 27, at the Osoyoos Indian Band offices with a drive-thru breakfast at the offices on McKinney Road east of Oliver. The drive-thru breakfast goes from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Then the caravan heads to lunch at the Lower Similkameen Indian Band and conclude’s the first day’s activities at a gathering at Gyro Park in Penticton at 2 p.m. and a stop at the Aaron Lezard memorial on Penticton Indian Band land around 3 p.m.
“It is important to recognize that First Nations people are five times more likely than non-First Nations to experience an overdose event, increasing the threat to Syilx Okanagan member communities,” the ONA said in a press release.
“The caravan will travel around the Nation to spread awareness and educate people about the disease of addiction in hopes to save more lives through education and open conversations,” the poster for the event states.
The caravan continues farther north in the Okanagan on Aug. 28.
