💜⚾ 6th Annual Overdose Awareness Day Coming to TD Bank Ballpark August 29
Four county prosecutor offices will host the 6th Annual Overdose Awareness Day at TD Bank Ballpark on August 29. The event features free naloxone kits, recovery resources, and a charity raffle to support addiction prevention and treatment efforts.
BRIDGEWATER, NJ — August 22, 2026 — The Prosecutors’ Offices of Hunterdon, Somerset, Union and Warren counties are joining forces for the 6th Annual Overdose Awareness Day on Saturday, August 29, at TD Bank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots.
The event is being held in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day, observed annually on August 31. The nationwide observance seeks to raise awareness about overdose prevention, promote harm-reduction strategies, reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and remember those who have lost their lives.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day. The 2026 theme, “25 Years On. Still Needed.”, highlights progress made in overdose awareness and prevention while emphasizing the continued need for education, treatment, harm reduction and compassionate support.
The event brings together the four counties’ Operation Helping Hand (OHH) initiatives, law enforcement agencies, healthcare providers and community organizations. Organizers say the goal is to connect individuals and families with resources while reinforcing the message that recovery is possible and help is available.
💜 Naloxone kits will be distributed during the event through a partnership with the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The kits are available to people who may be at risk of an opioid overdose, as well as individuals who may be in a position to administer naloxone to someone experiencing an overdose.
A 50/50 raffle will also be held, with proceeds benefiting Prevention Links, a Union County-based nonprofit organization.
Community partners involved in planning the event include Community in Crisis of Bernardsville, Parent to Parent Addiction Services of Washington, Prevention Links of Roselle, and Prevention Resources of Flemington.
The Somerset Patriots will host the event at TD Bank Ballpark, providing an opportunity for residents to come together through baseball while supporting overdose awareness, prevention and recovery efforts.
🤝 Operation Helping Hand
Operation Helping Hand is a prosecutor-led initiative designed to connect individuals struggling with substance use disorder to treatment and recovery services through partnerships with law enforcement and community organizations.
The program began in Bergen County in 2016 before expanding throughout New Jersey. By 2019, Operation Helping Hand was operating in all 21 New Jersey counties with state funding.
Today, the initiative uses both arrest-based referrals and proactive, non-arrest outreach to help connect people at risk of overdose with treatment and recovery resources.
📞 Help is available for New Jersey residents:
Somerset County: OHH — 908-393-8888
Union County: OHH 24/7/365 Hotline — 885-825-3275
Warren County: Parent to CARES — 908-835-1800
Hunterdon County: OHH — 908-788-1129
💜 Organizers say the event is about more than remembering those lost — it is also about supporting people in recovery, connecting families with resources and reminding those struggling with addiction that they are not alone.
📲 Garden State News Network will continue sharing information about community events focused on prevention, recovery and public safety across New Jersey.