EASTON – The towns of Easton, Oxford and St. Michaels are again supporting Talbot Goes Purple with purple fireworks displays at Independence Day celebrations this year.
The purple fireworks are part of Talbot Goes Purple, an initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Tidewater Rotary that empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse. Anyone who wishes to support the project can wear purple at the Independence Day celebrations.
“We’d like to give a thank-you to Al Bond at the Avalon Foundation; Ted Doyle, chairman of the St. Michael’s Fireworks Committee and Debbie Collison from Rotary Club of St. Michaels; and Vicky Van Loo and the board at Tred Avon Yacht Club for supporting our project,” said Lucie Hughes, of Tidewater Rotary. “Their generosity helps kick-off this project again this year and shows the towns continuing to support our communities by taking a stand against substance abuse.”
Talbot Goes Purple promotes education and awareness, including the creation of purple clubs in our middle and high schools, through which students learn that they do not need drugs or alcohol to meet life’s challenges. The project also encourages the ‘new conversation’ between teens and parents, one that includes messages that prescription painkillers aren’t safe to use recreationally.
“With your help we did a great job educating our communities last year on the importance of having the ‘new conversation,’ – the one that includes the dangers of misusing prescription painkillers,” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. “We need to continue the conversation if we’re going to turn the tide on this deadly epidemic.”
Talbot Goes Purple is based upon THP Project Purple, an initiative of the Herren Project that helps people struggling with drug dependencies. Former NBA player Chris Herren founded both projects after speaking to a high school about his struggles with drug dependency.
Herren visited Talbot County last year with his inspirational message. This year, Talbot Goes Purple will screen ‘If Only,’ a film from the Wahlberg Youth Foundation and Millennium Health created to increase awareness of youth prescription drug abuse and opioid use disorder.
Leading up to the film and starting September 1, 2018 local businesses and communities can again ‘Go Purple’ as a show of support and solidarity in addressing our substance abuse program.
Talbot Goes Purple is in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools and Mid-Shore Community Foundation.
More information is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find us on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or contact us at talbotgoespurple@gmail.com. Anyone wearing purple is encouraged to post pictures and tag us on Facebook.
All support is tax-deductible and made through the Mid-Shore Community Foundation.
Fireworks this year are scheduled as follows: Easton – Wednesday, July 4; St. Michaels – Saturday June 30; Oxford – Tuesday, July 3. Please check with each respective town for additional information on scheduled activities and rain dates.
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~ Talbot Goes Purple