BINGHAMTON, NY – (WIVT/WBGH) In an effort to raise awareness about the local and national opioid and overdose epidemic, a powerful march will be returning to Binghamton for the seventh year in a row.

On August 19, Truth Pharm will hold its annual Trail of Truth in honor of those who have lost their lives due to the effects of Substance Use Disorder.

Beginning at 2 p.m. at the Broome County Court House, the event will kick off with the opening of a community arts memorial cemetery installation. Following that, there will be a presentation from community organizations on local resources and those in attendance will also hear from speakers who have been directly affected by substance use. Concluding the event will be a march of attendees carrying tombstones of their loved ones to the Governmental Plaza, where they will then chalk outlines of bodies on the sidewalk to represent those lost to overdose.

Trail of Truth serves as an opportunity to connect community members who have lost loved ones due to the disease.

Truth Pharm is a Binghamton-based organization. Differing from other organizations, Truth Pharm isn’t focused on anti-drug efforts, but rather support, harm reduction, and education. The group is committed to reducing harm in active drug use, changing the justice system to educate the public, addressing inequalities in care, and reducing the stigma around substance abuse. The group advocates to end the drug war while supporting medical treatments, increased funding, and non-discriminatory policies.

As Truth Pharm works to create a community space for those affected by addiction, they have hosted a variety of other events such as the Jamison Turkow Annual Memorial Walk, a Free Hug event, Drive for Change Golf Tournament, Mind of Magic show, and Illuminating Truth which coincides with LUMA to celebrate recovery.

For more information on Trail of Truth and Truth Pharm, visit their website truthpharm.org.