One Mother to Share Her Poignant Story in Effort to Reach Others

Ginger Katz, whose son Ian tragically died of a drug overdose, wants to prevent other parents from enduring the same fate.

Katz will share her painful story with both students and parents in two separate assemblies at Burlington High School — for parents at 5:30 Sept. 17, and for students, on Sept. 18. She will speak to parents and students about the harmful effects of addiction, using her powerful personal experience as an example.

The first presentation for parents will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the high school, an hour prior to the annual Back to School night at 6:30 p.m., where school officials discuss operations and procedures for the new academic year. The next day, Katz will present to students in grades nine through 12.

“Given today’s heroin epidemic, we felt Ms. Katz’s presentation will offer an extremely important message to our students,” Chief Michael Kent said. “We hope to prevent drug abuse as early as possible by educating students and parents about the truly devastating effects drugs can have on the lives of people and their families.”

This is the second time Katz, founder of The Courage to Speak Foundation, has been to Burlington. The police department brought her to the high school in 2003 to share her story with students.

“Ms. Katz’s presentation is very powerful,” said Detective Tom Fournier. “She really relates her story to the students, as they’re able to look at her son and realize, ‘wow, he’s the same type of kid I am.’”

The Courage to Speak Foundation was founded in 1996, shortly after Katz and her husband Larry Katz lost Ian. Since then, they have been dedicated to fulfilling a promise Ginger made to Ian: to do everything in her power to prevent this tragedy from happening to another family.

Photo/info Credit: The Courage to Speak Foundation