Cover photo: Islip Town Board members flip the switch to light the cupola purple (Credit – Matt Meduri)
Six years ago, the Town of Islip became a local, state, and even national trailblazer in painting the town purple for the month of September to bring awareness to overdose and substance abuse disorders.
Advocates, elected officials, and community organizers have long worked to strip away the stigma of substance abuse in hopes of more open conversations that can help those suffering seek treatment and prevent overdose deaths and complications.
The Town held its “Islip Goes Purple” kickoff ceremony at Town Hall on Wednesday evening.
The events started with a resource fair from notable community programs, such as Youth Enrichment Services (YES), the Great South Bay Coalition, and Outreach New York. At 4:00, participants ran two laps around the traffic circle surrounding Town Hall. Islip Tax Receiver Andy Wittman (R-Sayville) was one of the dozens of runners, all of whom had the option to be dusted with purple powder as they rounded the finish line.
“‘Islip Goes Purple’ symbolizes our continued commitment to stand together, united in memory of the lives lost, those in recovery, those struggling, and the families throughout the town of Islip and across Long Island impacted by mental illness, struggling with mental health and those affected by substance use disorder,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip). “And it does not discriminate. It can affect anyone, regardless of economic or social status.”
The Towns of Brookhaven, Babylon, and Huntington have taken Islip’s lead in “going purple” every September, as has Massapequa Park in the Town of Oyster Bay. New York State is expected to light landmarks purple across the state to help spread awareness.
“Having elected officials join us here today is testament to the fact that substance use disorder, mental illness, and caring for one’s own mental health are issues at the forefront that we must address and that we are willing to tackle,” said Carpenter. “These tragedies don’t happen to other people, they happen to people like us. All of us have been touched in some way by loss due to overdose or suicide. We are making strides, but we have more work to do. That is why we continue our commitment to raise awareness of this dire issue. From the community level up to the town and state, we join together to go purple and stand united in this effort.”
Supervisor Carpenter was joined by Islip Town Councilmen Jorge Guadrón (D-Central Islip), John Lorenzo (C-West Sayville), and Mike McElwee (R-West Islip), as well as Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches), Deputy Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature Steve Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), Senator Monica Martinez (D-Brentwood), Assemblyman Mike Durso (R-Massapequa Park), and Megan O’Donnell, a member of District Attorney Ray Tierney’s (R) executive team.
“Islip goes purple to remind us that every life is important, that overdose is something that we want to prevent, that we want to reach out to those who suffer and make sure that there is counseling and the drug awareness training that is there,” said Executive Romaine. “We [the County] are going to fund “Islip Goes Purple” because they are on the cutting edge of this issue.”
Romaine also expressed interest in Suffolk County “going purple” itself.
Heather Hugelmeyer, Director of Substance Abuse Services at Northwell Oaks Hospital, said that over “100,000 Americans lost their lives to opioid overdoses” last year.
“There is treatment that is available. Recovery is possible. People get well every single day. And all these wonderful community-based organizations that are here are part of that commitment,” said Hugelmeyer. “If we can look at this issue from a standpoint of humanism, empathy, and compassion, it reduces stigma, but it also allows us to remember that we have the opportunity to provide hope and instill hope in people who are suffering from illnesses that are often very hopeless.”
Attendees heard the personal testimony of Maddie, a sixteen-year-old from Queens who has been at Outreach for three months and eight years. She explained how she violated her probation by smoking marijuana, despite the possible jail sentence the violation carried. She said that she went into the Outreach program as an alternative to charges.
“I’ve worked on myself a lot, with no distractions around me. Outreach has helped me to finally be a kid again, and to live peacefully,” said Maddie. She added that after she graduates the program, she hopes to finish high school and major in social work.
“I’m a kid in the system and I know how it feels to have a social worker you don’t connect with. I want to be the social worker that puts a smile on your face each day,” said Maddie.
Supervisor Carpenter and the Town Board then lit the Town Hall cupola purple to officially kick off the month of awareness. Although the color was not visible due to the sunlight, the cupola will certainly shine purple throughout the month of September.
