Photo Credit: Courtesy of Rick Kopstein
Caption: The 2024 Long Island Trail of Truth March to the Sea.
On Sunday, September 7, at 11 a.m., the shoreline at Robert Moses Beach, Field 5, will be transformed into a striking memorial as grieving families from across Long Island carry handcrafted tombstones to the water’s edge. The Second Annual Long Island Trail of Truth – March to the Sea honors lives lost to substance-use related causes and confronts the deadly rise of fentanyl in the local drug supply.
The National Trail of Truth movement was established by Truth Pharm and Trail of Truth founder Alexis Pleus. Alexis also serves on a statewide coalition to End Overdose in NY, and she’s the Co-chair for the New York State Harm Reduction Association. She serves on the National Coalition for Harm Reduction Funding and the Opioid Network.
“This epidemic has devastated our communities and stolen far too many sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters,” said Carole Trottere, a parent activist on the fentanyl crisis. “We refuse to be silent. Every tombstone is a loved one whose voice was silenced. Our purpose is to save lives and prevent another family from enduring this heartbreak.”
Part public art installation, part healing ceremony, the Trail of Truth pairs raw emotion with striking visuals. Participants will walk together toward the surf, placing memorial tombstones in the sand against the backdrop of the iconic Fire Island Lighthouse. Each marker bears a name and a story, revealing the staggering scope of loss hidden behind the statistics.
Steve Chassman, Executive Director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD), said:
“As we remember those lost amid the devastating opioid epidemic, we walk along the shores of Long Island contemplating much-needed improvements to public health, empathetic prevention strategies, and more universal access to quality treatment on demand. We remember those loved and lost but continue to voice our support of individuals and families who remain in the struggle of substance use disorder (SUD) in informing them that help is available, Narcan is accessible, and quality resources for treatment exist. These are the universal missions of The Trail of Truth, LICADD, GGT, FIST, and all those lending a helping hand in service to others in need.”
Lori Carbonaro, who lost her son Nicholas in 2014, said, “The March to the Sea is a safe, non-judgmental place to remember our loved ones, to say their names, to share who they were, who we knew…not only what happened to them, they were more…so much more.”
Last year, more than 100 tombstones were carried by families from Suffolk and Nassau counties, with over 50 people attending the inaugural event. This year’s program will feature remarks from:
Steve Chassman, Executive Director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD)
A representative from Truth Pharm, the national organization behind the Trail of Truth
Parents and family members who have turned personal loss into public advocacy
Members of the public are invited to participate. Those wishing to create a tombstone to carry may contact Lori Carbonaro at 631-413-8356.
For more information, please contact Carole Trottere at 631-25-5277.
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