Opioid Awareness Rally Held At Tulsa County Courthouse

A rally was held at the Tulsa County Courthouse today to bring attention to just how deadly fentanyl is and to show the impact the opioid crisis is having on the community.

Several families said attending the rally helped them cope with their grief.

“Christian was more than a grandson. He was our buddy, he grew up with us. Everywhere we went he was just an everyday part of our lives, “ Kennedy said.

Howard and Evelyn Kennedy lost their grandson Christian three years ago to fentanyl poisoning. They said they wish they could tell him they love him one more time.

“He was just really a good person and made a horrible mistake that cost him his life,” Kennedy said.

The Kennedys are just one of the thousands of families in Oklahoma who have been impacted by opioids.

Anyone walking by the Tulsa County Courthouse on Wednesday would’ve seen 91 crosses and 51 posters, each representing a life lost.

Diane Searle helped organize the event.

“I started this rally after I lost my daughter in March 2018 to heroin poisoning. I connected with moms in our area and before I knew, it just by word-of-mouth, I had people contacting me saying, 'my child died, my child died, what should I do,' and we are here for support as well as trying to get them justice for their children,” Searle said.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics said in 2020, there were a total of 1,119 overdoses across the state. In the year 2021, that number increased nearly ten percent to 1,223.

Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler said the opioid crisis is something that could be solved, but first there must be conversations between local leaders and the community.