Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Last August, more than 100 people participated in the seventh annual Overdose Awareness March, which started at Kneeland Park and continued onto West Railroad Avenue in downtown Shelton. This year's Mason County marches begin at 6:05 p.m. Aug. 29 in Belfair and 6:05 p.m. Aug. 30 in Shelton, and both are preceded by resource fairs that begin at 3 p.m.
Aug. 30 used to be a depressing date for Shelton resident Jamie Ellertsen.
That's the birthday of her brother, who overdosed on drugs and died at age 21. Then Ellertsen, who overcame her own drug addictions, discovered eight years ago that Aug. 31 was International Overdose Awareness Day. She messaged Abe Gardner, another recovered addict, about staging an event in Shelton.
"I didn't think anyone would show up," Ellertsen said in an interview with the Journal. About 25 to 30 people did show up and marched together to honor the memory of lives lost to overdose and provide hope to people still s...
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