Welcome to our twelfth Sam Chase Fund newsletter. Today is a special day, as we are celebrating Sam's 23rd birthday. We've reached volume 12, which is officially the one year mark of sending newsletters to your inbox. The Sam Chase Fund has come a long way since its origin, and we look forward to completing our 2023 goals and sharing them with you all.

#227forever 

Take a look below for important fentanyl facts and resources, Sam's birthday fun raiser, SCF assemblies, and more! Follow us on IG for more information @samchasefund, or find us on Facebook as The Sam Chase Fund page.

Fentanyl Resources

Fentanyl Data and Article Provided by Song For Charlie

Is death from a fentapill an “overdose” or a “poisoning”?

The terms “poisoning” and “overdose” are both used by the CDC, medical examiners and law enforcement professionals to describe drug related deaths. So, from a governmental reporting standpoint, fentanyl deaths are indeed called both “poisonings” and/or “overdoses”. However, these terms are not always used consistently between organizations, making the reporting of “poisonings” and “overdoses” complicated and sometimes inaccurate.

We think the language we use to describe drug deaths should be updated to accommodate recent developments brought on by the emergence of fentapills. An overdose occurs when a person ingests too much of a known substance, resulting in either illness or death. Fentapill deaths are different. The consumer is being deceived. Many people ingest a fentapill believing they are taking a legitimate prescription medication such as oxycodone or Percocet. They typically ingest the recommended dose of their intended drug - a single pill - and die from fentanyl toxicity. Because of the deception, such a death is most accurately classified as poisoning.

Updating the language is necessary to address the problem appropriately. The solutions we have historically applied to the opioid “overdose” crisis do not apply across the board in the age of fentanyl and fake pills.

SAM'S BIRTHDAY FUN RAISER!

2/27 held on 2/26

What does support look like in action? For us, to answer this question we must begin by asking ourselves what does it mean to support? The dictionary would define the act of supporting as, "bearing all or part of the weight of." And that couldn't be a better description of what was displayed as we celebrated and honored Samuel as a community and as a family. These are the moments that matter the most as we witness what support looks like in action. It looks like team members being flexible with last minute changes and running with it. It looks like businesses donating their time and storefronts to make visions come to life. It looks like people driving from different corners of the state and beyond and young adults offering up their mornings to gather in the middle of a blizzard to RUN- of all things to do in a snowstorm.  It looks like each of you taking the time to be invested in Sam, our journey, and in the lives of young adults and their futures by donating, sharing, advocating, and choosing to be a part of our stories. Today we were reminded that support comes in so many different forms, because of that extraordinary blessing we remain upright, making the burden of loss and grief and all that comes with it, lighter, more bearable, and less isolating. The amount of love poured out is honestly indescribable. What a beautiful way for us to celebrate Samuel and to see the same generosity, kindness, joy, and love he embodied be reflected in those who joined us, either in person or from wherever they were at, to honor him. We are so thankful for each of you who continue to support us; you remind us why we are in this. On a day where the weight feels too heavy to carry and the emotions feel too much to bear- it is all of YOU who surrounded us and held us up. Thank you for showing up and reminding us that there is something incredible that happens when we choose to bear one another's burdens, displaying that support is just an extension of HOW we love one another. Thanks for loving Sam and for loving us; the world is better with you in it. 

Assemblies: Fentanyl Awareness Presentation

SCF has started offering student assemblies for middle schools and high schools. We are hoping these are an impactful way to ensure all of our students, teachers, coaches, and parents are informed of the dangers of the fake prescription pills kids can easily get online, fentanyl in general, and to get them talking about this danger with their peers. Our assembly at Mt Shasta High School included Chris and Courtney, Eli Jones (father to wonderful Jackson), the police chief, and the district attorney. We had a One Pill Can Kill presentation, Song For Charlie's A New Drug Landscape presentation, Courtney leading everyone in interactive breathing practices, and more. Here are a few pictures taken by Amber at MSPD:

For access to videos of our assembly at MSHS, and future presentations, follow us on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColnC28GVcZITA4O1KO6o6g

High School Senior Scholarships

Our SCF Scholarship has now closed but we can't wait to announce the winners! We have a special board of people (not us) combing through these thoughtful applications. Congrats to all and we look forward to celebrating with each of you in some meaningful way!

Looking Ahead

As mentioned above, we hope to do more assemblies spreading our word about fentanyl.

National Fentanyl Awareness Day 2023 will be held on Tuesday, May 9! This virtual day of action will continue to focus on sharing the facts about fentanyl on social media and emphasizing the need to spread the word to save lives. We hope to be out and about in the community as well!

For more information  go to  https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/

Please help young adults find their path by supporting The Sam Chase Fund with your tax deductible contribution.

Donations to the Sam Chase Fund are processed and administered by our partner, The Community Foundation of the North State. The Foundation is a 501c (3) non-profit foundation and all donations are tax deductible.

Know someone who can benefit from our resources ? Have questions?

Contact Our Team

Kalia Kaili

Phone: 530-588-2492