Friends and family members gathered for a fentanyl awareness candlelight vigil last Saturday night near 410 S. Fifth St., beneath a new billboard that bears the faces of 15 residents lost to fentanyl poisoning. Rhonda and Andy Burris, whose son, Cruz Burris, 15, passed away on Jan. 18, 2023, organized the gathering as a way of bringing greater awareness to the threat fentanyl poses to the community.“We were the parents who said, ‘This would never happen to our child.’ Yet it did,” Andy Burris said. “I think the message point of getting these billboards is very impactful. I’ve heard comments at rallies, and other discussions that we’ve had that it has changed their child’s life.”The Burris’ formed the Cruz4Life Foundation to honor their son and to launch an educational campaign to help others. On that website, Burris states: “Rhonda and I have a calling and mission in life to educate parents and children of the deadly effects of fentanyl” and “We want you to understand, ‘One pill can kill,’ as 6 of 10 illicit pills contain enough fentanyl that will kill you.”Also in attendance at the vigil was Kelly Garner, who lost her daughter, Desi’ree Washington, to fentanyl March 8, 2023. Garner said that the Fifth Street billboard is the third billboard the group has funded in Leavenworth. The first billboard had three faces on it and was on Fourth Street. “We spend our own money to fund these billboards,” Garner said. “It’s really to spread awareness to other parents regarding the dangers of fentanyl and how you can’t trust any of the drugs out here that are being laced with it.” Tearfully, Garner added, “We’re trying to save other people’s children.” Her daughter would have turned 21 on Sept. 30. “My daughter took a pill that she thought was a Xanax,” Garner said. “She lost her life from it. It can happen to anybody and that’s why we’re here.”Dave Barnett, whose daughter, Emily Barnett, 32, passed away July 10, 2024, said that the vigil highlights the effects that fentanyl deaths have on families and the community.“The night before she passed, I Narcanned her in my kitchen,” Barnett said. “The next day I visited with her about 4:30. She thanked me for saving her life.” But Emily lost her battle with addiction later that day.Barnett said the lives taken by fentanyl have far-reaching impact.“It’s a ripple effect, you know,” Barnett said. “It’s the pebble in the pond and the ripple waves that go out.”James Hill talked about the loss of his brother, Geoffrey David Hill, who passed away in 2018. The brothers were in the throes of addiction together, which put them at great risk for the fentanyl-laced drugs that had seeped into the community.James got clean and sober after the loss of his brother. He continues to attend the fentanyl awareness rallies to speak and support others in the battle against the drug.The group gathered for Saturday’s rally expressed frustration prosecuting fentanyl suppliers.Leavenworth County prosecutor Todd Thompson, as a member and former president and legislative chair of Kansas County District Attorney Association, presented testimony to the Kansas Legislature Jan. 19, 2023, in support of SB 240, which increased punishment for fentanyl related crimes. In that testimony, Thompson stated:“As we all know, children should be any parents’ most precious and important concern. Also, we all know that fentanyl use and overdoses are sweeping our Nation and our State. We hear how one pill can kill, and all have heard stories of children in our State dying. We agree with this bill that where a person is manufacturing, attempting to manufacture, or distributing fentanyl related controlled substances, and we are assured they are not medically authorized to do so, they should have an increased penalty. Parents should be expected and responsible for having a safe environment for children.” In a recent interview, Thompson shared his concern with the present drug abuse situation. “We need to prosecute everything as best we can,” Thompson said. “Our biggest fight is education (about taking illegal drugs.) They don’t know what they’re taking and they don’t know what the outcome could be.” A Fentanyl Awareness Rally will be held Oct. 5 from noon to 2:30 p.m. at Leavenworth Landing Park, 301 S. Esplanade St.“We are a community,” Andy Burris said on Saturday. “We’re all sending the common message to parents and to children and any adult: don’t take illicit drugs.” Burris encourages parents to monitor their children’s social media.“That’s how we lost Cruz is because of a predator on social media,” Burris said. “I’m telling the children who know somebody who is doing something to say something.”To that end, on May 9, 2024, the Kansas Legislature passed and Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 419, a good Samaritan law. The law allows for bystanders to call 911 for a person they believe may be overdosing – without fear of facing criminal charges for using illegal drugs. In a statement from Kelly’s office, the governor explained the purpose of the bill.“It's critical that all Kansans are empowered to seek or deliver medical assistance during an emergency," Kelly’s statement said. "This bill is a lifeline for families and Kansans who are battling substance use disorders. It will save lives and provide the opportunity for recovery."Also signed the same day was Senate Bill 414, which provides tougher penalty guidelines for distribution of fentanyl. The bills went into effect July 1.
