Philadelphia citizens who died of an overdose are memorialized at a rally in support of safe injection sites. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
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On a recent Thursday afternoon, Ann Sardella took a drive to Saints Peter & Paul Cemetery in Springfield, Pennsylvania.
Buried there is her son, Joseph “Joey” Sardella, who was the oldest of three children and grew up with his family in nearby Havertown. The eldest brother died of a drug overdose at age 24 on Aug. 31, 2019 after a five-year battle with substance use disorder, leaving behind a family that still cherishes who he was in their lives.
“He was definitely a bit of a mama’s boy, very loving,” Ann said. “He grew up to be an absolutely excellent athlete, he played everything. And he loved music. He had such an ear for finding beautiful music.”
That day – Aug. 31 – is also International Overdose Awareness Day. The Sardellas hold an annual cemetery memorial walk for the whole community on this day and will do so again later this month. The walk looks to give families like the Sardellas an opportunity to share stories about the friends and family they’ve lost to drug addiction.
Aside from his family, Ann said Joey’s greatest loves were Philadelphia sports teams like the 76ers and the Eagles.
“When the Eagles won the Super Bowl, he did go out with his friends and he called me crying and he said, ‘I am so happy to be able to make this call to you. You are my first phone call. I cannot believe I got to see the Eagles win the Super Bowl,’” Ann said. “That’s how much he loved them, he was crying.”
These are the memories that Ann and her family have held onto ever since Joey’s death.
This year, the walk will be in partnership with the Shevlin Family Foundation whose founders, Peggie and Paul Shevlin, have three children who are in recovery from substance use disorder.
Ann credits the annual event with helping her family heal in the wake of her son’s death.
“This is how our family kind of turned it around,” Ann said. “We have beautiful memories of Joey and celebrating him together is very easy for us, and to have all the community together so that they can celebrate a loved one just makes it that much better. We feel supported by them and we hope they feel supported by us.”
Similar memorial events throughout Philadelphia, the suburbs, Delaware and South Jersey are scheduled on the days leading up to and on Aug. 31 to mark the day and help spread awareness about the impact of the addiction epidemic.
The number of people in the United States who died from drug overdoses declined in 2023 for the first time in five years, but overdoses still claimed the lives of 107,543 people across the country, including thousands of people in the Delaware Valley.
Ann said awareness day events can help bring people who’ve been deeply affected by addiction and the opioid epidemic closer.
“What you will feel after you’ve come is that you’ve just gifted your loved one with a way of saying, ‘I still will always support your life and your memory and I will honor you,’” she said.
International Overdose Awareness Day events in the Delaware Valley
Upper Darby Township Building, 100 Garrett Road
3 p.m.
Organizers: Savage Sisters Recovery and U.D.T.J
Contact: Destinie Campanella
267-474-7931
Destinie@savagesisters.org
Join us in remembering those lost to failed drug policies. Hear from speakers, access bereavement resources, and join us for a walk.
Outside the Corporal Jimmy O’Connor Memorial Recreation Center, 4330 Deerpath Lane
5 p.m.
Organizer: Never Surrender Hope
Christ Gospel Chapel, 2209 Route 9, Whitesboro
6 p.m.
Organizers: Christ Gospel The Love Center and Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional
Contact: Jennifer L Thierjung
609-933-6638
jthierjung@caperegional.com or sagger@caperegional.com
Honoring loved ones, raising awareness, guest speakers and Narcan.
The Circle, 510 S. Bedford Street
7 p.m.
Organizer: atTAcK addiction
Contact: Amy Rust
302-365-5221
amy.rust@attackaddiction.org
This community event is dedicated to commemorating the thousands of Delawareans lost to overdose. It also will offer essential local support services and will conclude with a candlelight vigil.
Sidewalk at Main Street and Old College
6:30 p.m.
Organizer: atTAcK addiction
Contact: Sean O’Connor
302-365-5221
info@attackaddiction.org
This community event is dedicated to commemorating the thousands of Delawareans lost to overdose. It also will offer essential local support services, including information about Delaware’s 911/Good Samaritan Law, and conclude with a candlelight vigil.
Front steps at Historic Chester County Courthouse, 2 N High Street
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Organizer: Chester County
“Night of Light” will feature local resource tables, several keynote speakers, and a luminary ceremony to honor loved ones lost and those working towards long-term recovery.
Veterans Park – North Entrance, Klockner Road
5:30 p.m.
Organizer: Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
Contact: Charlene Phelps
609-396-5874
cphelps@mercercouncil.org
At our International Overdose Awareness Day event, guests can expect a community gathering that features a formal program with local leaders, family members and folks in recovery sharing their experiences with changing the narrative of addiction. A memorial table will be present, where loved ones may bring photos or mementos to remember loved ones who have passed away. There are family-friendly activities for children, like rock painting with members of the Youth Coalition of Mercer County. The evening ends with a candlelight vigil, offering a time for remembrance as event leaders share brief stories of hope in the midst of loss.
Timber Creek Park, 236 Taylor Avenue & Chews Landing Road
7:30 p.m. rain or shine
Organizers: The Camden County Board of Commissioners and the Addiction Awareness Task Force
To remember the loved ones we lost and spread the message of hope to those still fighting the disease of addiction. Help raise awareness of the crisis we’re facing within our community.
Impact Services Building, 1952 East Allegheny Avenue
4 – 8 p.m.
Organizers: Ride Free Org and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health
We are celebrating people who lost their lives to overdose and substance use with an afternoon of creativity and connection. We will have several art workshops and a recording studio available for attendees, led by local artists and art therapists.
Saints Peter & Paul Cemetery, 1600 Sproul Road
5:30 p.m.
Organizers: The Sardella Family and The Shevlin Family Foundation
Contact: Elizabeth Rizzo
610-908-4160
elizabeth@shevlinfamilyfoundation.org
The Shevlin and Sardella Families have teamed up to support those who have lost a loved one to accidental overdose and/or substance use disorder. This FREE event brings the community together to remember loved ones lost, acknowledge the family and friends left behind, and advocate for ending overdoses.
For more events, visit overdoseday.com.