The Annual Revere Beach Memorial is a candlelight vigil for families and friends who wish to remember a loved one that lost their life due to an overdose. The Revere CARES Coalition and the City of Revere is again organizing this touching event for Sunday, September 25, 2016 at the William G. Reinstein Bandstand on Revere Beach (rain or shine). The event begins at sunset, approximately 7:00 pm, and will end by 8:00pm. Individuals can register a name to be read by contacting Revere CARES at 781-435-6440 or arriving between 6:00pm and 6:30pm on the night of the event.
The program consists of: an introduction, inspirational readings/poems, lighting of candles, reading of names of those being remembered with a fire bell after each name, closing remarks (the Serenity Prayer and concluding statement), and bagpipe music on the beach.
The Revere Beach Memorial arose due to the work of the Revere CARES Coalition’s Opiates Task Force that began meeting in 2005 to document the depth and breadth of the Oxycontin and heroin problem in the community. The coalition created an action plan which City of Revere officials, Revere CARES staff, volunteers and community partners have been working to fulfill. The Revere Beach Memorial event was developed by a group of family members who lost loved ones to drug and/or alcohol use disorders. These community members and coalition volunteers comprise the event’s planning committee.
Money raised by the planning committee for the Revere Beach Memorial Fund will be used to help cover the costs of this annual event, support local addiction treatment programs, and provide educational scholarships to Revere High School students impacted by substance use disorders. The first Revere Beach Memorial Scholarship was bestowed upon a graduating RHS student in 2012 and will be given to a graduating senior each year for the foreseeable future. Donations can be sent to Viviana Catano at the address below. Checks should be made payable to the Revere Beach Memorial Fund.
