Candlelight Vigil – International Overdose Awareness Day
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Mon, Aug 31 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Address (map)
1100 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara, CA
Venue (website)
Santa Barbara County Courthouse & Sunken Gardens
Local advocacy nonprofit Families ACT! invites community members, local leaders, and supporting organizations to honor those impacted by overdose at a special commemorative event on Monday, August 31, 2026.
The event will take place from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM at The Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Garden. This annual gathering serves as a vital touchpoint for the Santa Barbara community, offering a compassionate, judgment-free space to acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind, remember loved ones lost to overdose, and bring localized awareness to a global public health crisis.
Event Schedule
- 7:30 PM – Welcome & Opening Remarks by Rod Pearson, President
- 7:40 PM – Keynote Address Wayne Mellinger
- 8:00 PM – Community Candlelight Vigil hosted by Scott Claassen
A Quarter-Century of Global Action: “25 Years On. Still Needed.”
Marking its landmark 25th anniversary, International Overdose Awareness Day was first initiated in 2001 by Sally J. Finn at the Salvation Army in St. Kilda, Melbourne. Today, it stands as the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, eliminate the surrounding stigma, and stimulate essential discussions regarding drug policy and preventative action.
The theme for 2026, “25 Years On. Still Needed,” underscores both the global progress made, and the persistent urgency required to save lives.
“It’s essential to support those at risk and those who are grieving by offering human dignity through compassion and proper care,” stated Families ACT! President Rod Pearson. “Our community needs to come together to end this crisis. We hope to inspire everyone to work together to prevent deaths.”
About Families ACT!
Families ACT! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Santa Barbara, California, dedicated to community advocacy for citizens experiencing behavioral health challenges. The organization campaigns for the compassionate treatment of individuals living with mental health and co-occurring disorders. Families ACT! advocates for “Beds not Cells.”
