Ceremony to remember fatal overdose victims

The mother of a 15-year-old Lexington High School student who died after taking a pressed pill laced with fentanyl will address attendees for the fifth annual International Overdose Awareness Day observance on Monday, Aug. 31.

Overdose Awareness Day is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Lexington Student Center.

Brandy Hashem, whose daughter Lana Hooker-Hashem died in the spring of 2022, will be the featured speaker.

“She has worked to educate the community in a variety of ways that include sharing her story,” said Pam Imm, a community psychologist for The Courage Center, a nonprofit recovery organization serving families affected by substance use disorder.

‘We care about everybody’

Imm said the event serves as a memorial for people lost to fatal overdoses and a reminder that overdose victims and their stories matter.

“Just to see a large group of community members supporting them and recognizing that they are important is impactful,” she said. “We care about everybody. These are people who are important in our community, and the families are too — they are grieving.”

The Courage Center organizes Lexington’s Overdose Awareness Day with cooperation from the town police department and county sheriff’s department, local health care providers and social services and mental health agencies.

“Really, it’s organized by moms,” Imm said, referring to mothers of fatal overdose victims.

“Parents and family members who have experienced this tragic loss are the primary organizers of the Lexington annual event,” Imm wrote in a 2025 letter to the editor published in the Chronicle. “While fatal overdoses are trending downward in the state and in the county, efforts continue to further decrease fatal and nonfatal overdoses using evidence-based practices.”

The Courage Center works to make naloxone, a lifesaving opioid overdose antidote, available in the community and provides no-cost recovery services.

Recognize a loved one

Lexington County residents who have lost a family member or friend to overdose can ensure their loved ones are recognized at the event by emailing the person’s photo, name and age to honoringourchildren@gmail.com.

Imm said candles and paper bags will be available for survivors who wish to make luminaries remembering their loved one. Luminaries will be lit during the ceremony.

For more information on Overdose Awareness Day, email Imm at drpamimm@gmail.com.