SF joins thousands across country in annual 'Walk For Lives' to raise awareness of fentanyl

"SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Thousands of people across the country joined together Saturday to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. At San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood was a march in remembrance and with a message. Hundreds of marches like this happened across the country Saturday in the annual "Walk For Lives." It was organized locally by nonprofit Micah's Hugs, founded by Micah Sawyer, who lost his son, Micah Jr., to a fentanyl overdose in 2019."

"And while nationwide drug overdose deaths took a significant dip in 2024, these loved ones say the work is far from over, with still tens of thousands of people dying. "I think it's important that we don't lose that momentum and that we keep it going. So that we continue to have a slow down, and we don't have our numbers come back up again," Sawyer said."

Thousands of people across the country joined marches to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. In San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood a remembrance march took place as part of the annual "Walk For Lives," organized locally by nonprofit Micah's Hugs. Micah Sawyer founded the nonprofit after losing his son, Micah Jr., to a fentanyl overdose in 2019. Organizers aimed to provide information to communities and offer grieving families an outlet. Although nationwide drug overdose deaths showed a significant dip in 2024, tens of thousands of people continue to die. Organizers emphasize maintaining momentum to sustain the decline and prevent numbers from rising again.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco