“I rode my bicycle from Delaware to San Francisco. Atlantic to Pacific. My initial goal was one of self-reflection, to gain a different perspective on my life. After talking with my friend Charlie Seymour, President of Give America Hope, we decided to partner to raise awareness for the heroin and opioid epidemic that has become so prevalent in our country. 

Opioid abuse is an issue that has touched almost everyone in some way, myself included.  I’m 27 years old, only 10 years out of high school, and already I can look through my senior yearbook and, on every page, point out someone who is no longer here because of an overdose. Some of my closest friends have struggled with heroin and opiate addiction, and one of the most frustrating things is that it starts with a prescription for a legitimate physical pain, and progresses into a dependence that seems to dominate every aspect of someone’s life. It makes this epidemic a difficult one, with no easy solution.

The best chance we have is to raise awareness through organizations like Give America Hope. If we can educate ourselves on how these drugs work, and how these scenarios originate, we can stop it before it starts.”