Aug. 31 is International Drug Overdose Awareness Day and Safer Streets for Tamaqua’s Little Feet will be hosting its second lantern vigil in memory of those lost the struggle.

Last year’s event was attended by more than 100 people representing a cross-section of the community and included a lantern lighting event. The lanterns were then released into the sky.Safer Streets was established by John and Tammy Sienkiewicz after the April 2016 death of their daughter, Alexandria, due to a fentanyl overdose. The grieving parents created the group in response to the increasing number of drug overdose deaths in the area, hoping to raise awareness of the problem, as well as offering help and support for those caught up in the nightmare world of drug abuse.In addition to the lantern vigil, Safer Streets also sponsors an annual awareness walk, helps addicts get into recovery programs, offers support to families affected by drug abuse and travels throughout the area presenting drug awareness programs in schools, organizations and at public events.This year’s event will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will again include the lantern lighting vigil. It will be held at the former CVS parking lot on East Broad Street.The lanterns are biodegradable.The group also has a number of other activities planned for the near future: Aug. 24: 7 p.m., Meet the Raider night at Tamaqua Area High School Stadium; Aug. 26: 7 p.m., Back to School Dance at Tamaqua Salvation Army; Aug. 31: 6 p.m., Remembering Chrissy Erbe at the Ginter Field in Summit Hill; Sept. 2: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Bacon and Blues Fest at Tamaqua Station Restaurant; Sept. 13: 4 p.m., CMP Drug and Alcohol annual Recovery Walk at Lehighton Grove Park; Sept. 26: 5 p.m., Schuylkill County’s second annual Recovery Event at Martz Hall Pottsville. The theme will be “Realities of Addiction and Recovery.”For more information about any Safer Streets program, or for help, visit the group’s Facebook page, its website at

www.saferstreetstamaqua.com, email to

saferstreetstamaqua@gmail.com or call 570-527-9277.