Today on High Plains Morning, we were honored to host someone who has been doing incredible work in the greater Texas Panhandle to prevent the tragic loss of life from opiod overdose. Angie Duncan, a.k.a. the Amarillo Narcan Lady, launches her first-ever Texas Panhandle Overdose Awareness event to be held from 5 to 9 p.m. CT this Saturday, Aug. 23, at Sam Houston Park.
The Amarillo event will feature an evening full of live music, local food trucks, community vendors, an art show, and a creative Chalk the Walk contest. Duncan will also hold a memorial service to read the names of loved ones who have died from overdoses.
This event will be based on the one that first inspired Duncan to take on this work. “This is my first event, and making this happen was my goal in the first place. I used to drive down to Denton to attend one, and that’s how I even started this organization,” Duncan said. “I was like, ‘Why do we not have that here?’ And so I started doing my own thing here based off of theirs. The ultimate goal was to do this event.”
According to Reacting to Opioid Overdose, the first North Texas Overdose Awareness Day was held in 2018 in downtown Denton—the same year that she lost her son, Drew, to an overdose.
MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION (from the website):
Texas Panhandle Overdose Awareness was founded in 2023 in honor of Drew Seager who lost his precious life to an accidental drug overdose in 2018.
We strive to do our best to change the narrative locally by:
- Sending a strong message to active drug users and those in recovery that they are valued
- Starting discussions about overdose prevention
- Providing basic information on the range of support services offered in Amarillo and the surrounding areas
- Remembering without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the profound grief of the loved ones left behind.
We provide free Narcan to the community and have monthly meetings for those reeling from the loss of a loved one. Text 806.414.5804 for more information.
ABOUT ANGIE DUNCAN, FOUNDER: Angie Duncan is the founder of Texas Panhandle Overdose Awareness (TPOA), an organization she started in 2023 in honor of her son, Drew, who lost his precious life to an accidental overdose in 2018. Through advocacy, education, and community outreach, Angie is dedicated to raising awareness about addiction and overdose, that provides support for people affected by overdose loss.
Originally from Alabama, Angie moved to the Texas Panhandle in her teens. Along with her advocacy work, she cherishes her role as a mama to her four kids, ranging from 27 to 9 years old. A homeschool mom, she finds herself getting lost in a good book, visiting the beach, and hugging as many trees as possible.
ABOUT DREW SEAGER, THE REASON ANGIE DOES THIS WORK: Drew was born in 1994 with a gleam in his eye and a need or adventure in his soul. Even as a child, he was protective and brave! He loved all sorts of music and had a passion for art. He laughed loud and gave the kind of hugs that lifted you off of the ground. "Roll Tide" was his tagline as he obnoxiously cheered on his Alabama football team. Drew's smile lit up a room, and if you were around him, you were definitely laughing.
Drew was a son, daddy, brother, nephew, grandson, and friend. He is loved beyond worlds and time, and our lives will never be the same. Drew, this revolution is yours.
