Over 3,500 participants filled the Spokane Pavilion at Spokane Riverfront Park in late October to enjoy the first annual Fall Family Fest.

Presented by the Spokane Alliance for Fentanyl Education (S.A.F.E.), the free concert featured headliner CMT Music Award winner Chris Young.

Young gave a powerful performance, but the reason behind the four-hour event was critical. The event sought to bring awareness about Spokane County’s Fentanyl epidemic, offering information and community resources to help with addiction and recovery.

S.A.F.E., founded in November 2021, is the result of a partnership between the Rayce Rudeen Foundation and the Drug Enforcement Administration – DEA‘s Operation Engage Spokane. The partnership collaborated to build an alliance of community leaders, empowering the community to fight the Fentanyl epidemic.

937 The Mountain‘s Jamie Patrick, Public Safety Communications Manager for the City of Spokane Police Department Julie Humphreys, and KHQ Local News Anchor Claire Graham each emceed the event. Leading up to the show, Patrick, who hosts the Morning Show on 937 The Mountain, promoted the concert daily.

Setting an impassioned tone, all three emcees walked the Pavilion floor to interact with the crowd during musical performances. In addition, they spent time educating attendees about the dangers of Fentanyl and its impact on the community.

The impact is staggering. Approximately 275 lives are lost daily to overdoses and poisonings, equating to one person dying every 5.25 minutes.

Fentanyl doesn’t discriminate. It can be found anywhere, in any neighborhood. Including a two-year-old, a grandmother, and a teenager, ingesting the synthetic opioid Fentanyl accounted for over 88 deaths in Spokane County over the past year.

We must unite and work together. It’s the only way to end the epidemic of Fentanyl.