Black Balloon Day Brings Awareness to Overdose Deaths

PEABODY, MA - This Sunday is Black Balloon Day, an idea begun by a Peabody mother and daughter deeply affected by the ongoing opioid crisis.

Diane and Lauren Hurley began Black Balloon Day in remembrance of Greg Tremblay. Tremblay, a father of four, is the son-in-law of Diane and brother-in-law of Lauren and died of an overdose when he was 38 years old last March 6.

In a short time, Black Balloon Day has become a national and international event, bringing awareness to overdose deaths.

To participate in Black Balloon Day on Sunday, March 6, the Hurleys are asking anyone who’s been impacted by the drug epidemic to hang a black balloon in front of their homes and post on social media with ‪#‎BlackBalloonDay‬.

“To show them they aren’t the only people (that) lost a parent or (lost) their children. Every day this is happening,” Lauren told WBZ News. “Even if one person sees a balloon and thinks ‘I could be the person that someone could be hanging the balloon out for’…in my eyes we did something right.”