Help Kyle raise money

On Sunday, August 15, 2021, I am running the ASICS Falmouth Road Race with Team BMC. It is my personal goal to raise $1,500 in support of Boston Medical Center’s (BMC) fight against the opioid epidemic and I am writing to ask for your support.

Addiction does not discriminate—it affects individuals of every socioeconomic background, race, sex gender and ethnicity— and has led to the largest public health crisis of our time with more than 20 million people in the United States living with a substance use disorder (SUD). The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the addiction crisis in numerous ways. Mandates against large gatherings conflicted with typical SUD safety rules to stay in groups, never use substances alone and to seek walk-in recovery centers and meetings, while stay-at-home orders jeopardized access to important treatments. People turned to substances to cope with the stress of a global pandemic and the economic instability it caused. As a result, overdose deaths began skyrocketing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 81,000 overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the past 12-months, proving the dire need for accessible SUD care.

Boston Medical Center has long led the charge against addiction, tackling substance use disorders with nationally-recognized, innovative services designed for individual needs. BMC’s Grayken Center for Addiction is prided on “meeting patients where they are” in their stage of use and keeping pathways to essential services open and readily available—a mission that has been vital throughout the pandemic and made possible by donors like you. Even though COVID cases are decreasing, the need for BMC’s innovative addiction programs and services remain high. By supporting me in my race, you are helping BMC meet the needs of those struggling with substance use and in turn, helping to build healthier communities.