Our Daily Show Interview! Foster's Light in the Dark- Overdose Awareness Day Event on 8-31
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
ALTON - Two upcoming vigils will honor those lost to drug overdose and suicide.
From 4–8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, community members are invited to Russell Common Park in Alton for the second annual Drug Overdose Awareness Day Candlelight Vigil. This will be followed by the first annual Suicide Awareness Candlelight Vigil at 4 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2025, at the park. Both events are hosted by Foster’s Light in the Dark, a local nonprofit that aims to spread awareness about recovery.
“We’ve been there,” said Christina Foster, who founded the organization. “It’s by the grace of God that any of us made it out of addiction alive and in recovery. We can’t forget where we came from. We help others. Every eight minutes, an addict will die in the United States from a drug overdose, and that is just sad…If they show up to our event, they will know how to get help.”
In addition to the candlelight vigil and dove release by Williams Family White Dove Release, both events will feature resource tables and speakers. At the Drug Overdose Awareness Day Candlelight Vigil, attendees can interact with community resources like Amare, Gateway Regional Medical Center, and the Madison County Mental Health Board.
Madison County Coroner Nick Novacich will speak at the event, followed by Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford. Pastor Bud, who runs Celebrate Recovery out of a church in Granite City, will share his testimony of overcoming a substance use disorder.
After the dove release, community members are invited to light a candle for a loved one who was lost. As the event concludes, Foster will add up the number of years that attendees have been clean or sober and announce this number. She believes this inspires hope.
“We were them. When we leave this event, we’re counting up clean time. Because it’s going to be so heavy, at the end we’re going to let them know that we do recover,” she said. “Last year, we memorialized over 100 people. But 200 years of clean time showed up, and that left our community with hope that they aren’t lost. They can get help. We were them, and you can recover.”
Foster is also looking ahead to the Suicide Awareness Candlelight Vigil in September. She shared that she lost three brothers to suicide, and she hopes the event inspires healing and helps people connect to resources.
She noted that Madison County has a high number of 988 calls. She encourages people who are experiencing a crisis to call 911 or 988, and she pointed out that there are many resources in the area, including Centerstone, that can help you.
Ultimately, Foster hopes to see many people come out to both vigils in the coming months. These events aim to help people connect to resources while memorializing those who have been lost. She hopes Foster’s Light in the Dark can continue to help people heal.
“If you just want to be a part of and see what we do, please come out,” she added. “It’s so spiritual. It’s moving because we’re all in this together and we’ve got to get through this together.”
For more information about the second annual Drug Overdose Awareness Day Candlelight Vigil, click here. For more information about the first annual Suicide Awareness Candlelight Vigil, click here. To learn more about Foster’s Light in the Dark, including their mission and how to help, visit their official website at FostersLightInTheDark.org or their official Facebook page.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
