Walk for Lives
A grassroots response to the fentanyl scourge led by the survivors—parents, siblings, grandparents, friends. Unified by the urgency with events in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and walks in communities across the nation.
WHAT IS UNITED AGAINST FENTANYL’S
Walk For Lives?
A manifesto of the concerned. Local proclamations coalesced into a united shout that the deaths must stop! A day when voices will be heard from the streets across America to the highest halls of power. An acknowledgment that fentanyl isn’t lethargic and doesn’t discriminate between neighborhoods, political parties, or tax brackets. A walk in solidarity, United Against Fentanyl.
We will forge a new path on Saturday, September 20th. The survivors will lead the way—parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. We will walk, remember, educate, advocate, and mobilize change.
New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and communities across the nation.
- Fentanyl is the #1 cause of death in the U.S. for 18–45-year-olds
- That’s more than cancer…
- More than heart disease…
- More than gun homicides and auto accidents combined
- It kills 22 high school students every week…
- That’s a Parkland School shooting every seven days
- The stigma of drug use must end
- Foreign and domestic bad actors manufacture and sell illicit fentanyl despite being fully aware of the deaths
WE WILL NOT SIT BY.
WE WILL ACT.
I want to join survivors across the nation who share my believe that this is URGENT. I would like to lead and organize a walk in my community to raise awareness and finally bring an end to this crisis.
Next steps to start your walk:
- Fill out and submit the form
- You will be sent a Walk For Lives online application
- Once submitted, you will receive an Organizer Handbook and support information.
About Walk For Lives
Problem
Despite unrelenting work to reduce deaths in both public and private sectors, the illicit fentanyl scourge rages out of control. It is the leading cause of fatalities in the U.S. of those 18-45 years old. Over 20 high school students are killed each week, often by laced counterfeit pills. Most do not understand the scale or scope of this public health crisis. And bad actors, foreign and domestic, continue to manufacture, distribute, and sell. Today approximately one million parents grieve the recent loss of their teenage or young adult child to fentanyl.
Response – A National Movement of Grassroots Community Organizing Campaigns
A comprehensive plan to significantly reduce fentanyl deaths in the form of hundreds of community-based awareness/educational campaigns in all 50 states on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. with three afternoon large scale stage events in NYC and LA to be broadcast digitally.
Scope – Building Resilient and Sustainable Communities, Nationwide
To provide lifesaving awareness, education, and resources while creating sustainable networks and partnerships with private and public organizations—penetrating hundreds of vulnerable cities and towns—creating resilient communities that can withstand this deadly drug.
Who Will Lead Walk For Lives?
Each walk is led by a family member who lost a loved one to fentanyl (usually a mother), and a team of leaders. Following the walk will be testimonials by loved ones and informative talks by experts, followed by a resource fair. Each Walk For Lives will partner with elected officials, law enforcement, hospitals and community health centers, health clinics, counseling centers, faith communities, relevant businesses, and local influencers for maximum and lasting impact. United Against Fentanyl to provide comprehensive training on organizing best practices.
What Happens After September 2025?
As the fentanyl crisis is expected to continue for years, Walk For Lives will continue in 2026 and beyond. Additionally, United Against Fentanyl will consider expanding into a federated nonprofit organization in which case WFL leaders will be invited to apply to become UAF chapter leaders. The purpose of these chapters will be to continue organizing in order to develop resilient and sustainable ecosystems across the nation that will withstand the fentanyl crisis and save lives.
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