Photo from left: Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department captain Shane Taylor from Station 3, fire chief Gary Monahan, Angelo Raso, and fire chaplain Tom Brown.
On August 1, 2018, first responders from the Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department’s Station 30, on Limberlost Road, got the call. When they arrived at the Bella Lake address, nothing they could do would revive Johnny Raso, 36. He had died sometime in the night from a fentanyl overdose.
“I knew my son had a problem, I didn’t know it was that deep, whether it was a mental problem or an addiction. He was a casual user, but fentanyl doesn’t discriminate,” his dad Angelo Raso told Huntsville Doppler in 2019. “What I would say to people is keep a close eye on your kids.”
After the tragic loss of their son, the family decided to turn their annual horseshoe gathering at their Bella Lake cottage into an annual fundraiser for first responders to help with mental health and drug awareness programming.
This year the tournament raised $800 which was presented to the Lake of Bays Fire Department. To date, the Rasos have raised $2,400 for the fire department.
In 2021, there were approximately 169 opioid-related deaths in Simcoe Muskoka, 25% higher than the prior year and 90% of the deaths were fentanyl-related, noted Raso. “Across Canada 21 of our kids die daily of [an] opioid overdose. The drug dealers might as well put a gun to our kids’ heads and shoot them because that is what’s happening. We have mass opioid murders in Canada daily and it’s not registering or being taken seriously or publicized as gun deaths are. Our Attorney General has to initiate a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to fentanyl-related crimes and publicize it,” he added.
Raso said there’s a need for more engagement from politicians, law enforcement, and community members towards educating kids on the dangers of opioid/fentanyl use.
Huntsville Lake of Bays fire chief Gary Monahan said he’s grateful for the Raso donations. Certain calls, particularly when a young person dies of opioid poisoning can be tough on first responders. He said he has a personal friend going through something similar who he has put in contact with Angelo Raso.
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, a global event dedicated to remembering, without stigma, those who have died, and to acknowledging the grief of the family and friends left behind. It’s a time to remember and a time to act, according to the United Way of Simcoe Muskoka.
The charitable organization is hosting a free documentary screening of Flood: The Overdose Epidemic in Canada, followed by a panel discussion at the Algonquin Theatre on August 31, 2022 between 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. You can find more information here.
Related story: Local couple support first responders in memory of son who died from an opioid overdose
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
0 Comments