Malden To Hold Candlelight Vigil For Overdose Victims

On Sunday, Nov. 22, there will be a candlelight vigil at Malden High School to remember the lives of community members who passed away from drug overdoses.

The event is sponsored by Malden Overcoming Addiction, a community-led group whose mission is to “end the stigma associated with addiction, connect the community with addiction support and recovery services, and to fight to eliminate overdose fatalities in Malden.”

“We have recognized that eliminating the stigma is a large part of the work we have ahead,” Katie Powell Bourdeau, on of the organizers of the event, said. “Many family members privately grieve the loss of their loved ones and even more are afraid of seeking help for fear of judgement and suffer in isolation.”

The vigil will include statements from Malden residents and city officials, local performers, and a reading of the names of the overdose victims.

Following the reading of the names, there will be an indoor portion of the event. That will will feature a variety of addiction informational resource tables, an Overdose Prevention & Narcan Training session presented by Lynn Healthy Streets, and a discussion facilitated by the Mystic Valley Public Health Coalition.

If you would like your loved one’s name read aloud at the vigil, please send them to maldenvigil@gmail.com. In addition, if you want to have them included in a tribute slideshow, please send their picture to along with their name and date of passing to maldenvigil@gmail.com.