Sheboygan Unites for Overdose Awareness: Brats, Vigil, and Life-Saving Tools at Lighthouse Recovery Event

Lighthouse Recovery Community Center remembers those we have lost

SHEBOYGAN, WI — August 1, 2025 — Lighthouse Recovery Community Center (LRCC), a nonprofit recovery center that empowers people on their recovery journey through peer and community support, has joined with its community partners to host an event on International Overdose Awareness Day, Sunday, August 31, 2025. The event will take place at The 1907 Club, 2908 North 21st Street in Sheboygan. The event will begin at 4:00 pm, and include a brat fry, bake sale, raffles, guest speakers, community resource tables, and a candlelight vigil.

According to a report from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Sheboygan County has had 24 reported opioid overdoses so far this year. The region of Northeast Wisconsin that includes Sheboygan County has had 261 opioid overdoses.

“Those numbers are high, but the real numbers may be even higher,” said Ian Schebel, Outreach and Development Specialist for Lighthouse Recovery Community Center, Sheboygan. “Overdoses are often not reported out of fear of getting in trouble with either law enforcement, employers, or landlords. That is why we plan to shine a light on overdose awareness.”

An overdose happens when the body is overwhelmed with a toxic amount of a substance or combination of substances. These life-threatening events have become more common with the opioid epidemic that is still wreaking havoc on communities. Law enforcement and clinicians are seeing a decline in drugs like heroin, but have been seeing fentanyl use rise dramatically.

LRCC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been helping educate the community on how to spot an overdose, stop an overdose with medication like Naloxone, and other overdose prevention methods. Naloxone, known by its brand name Narcan, is an opioid antagonist, meaning it attaches to opioid receptors in the brain and blocks other opioids (like heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and morphine) from binding to them. By displacing opioids from these receptors, Naloxone can quickly reverse the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose, such as slowed or stopped breathing, and restore normal respiration.

The organization offers certified recovery coaching, daily meetings, sober social events, and resources from community partners for all those seeking help on their recovery journey, no matter the substance. In June, LRCC Sheboygan offered three free Naloxone training sessions for the community, two of which were in partnership with Rogers Behavioral Health and Sheboygan County Health and Human Services.

International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on August 31st each year. Its purpose is to raise awareness of overdoses, reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and acknowledge the grief felt by families and friends. The first day was held in 2001 in Australia. Since then the day has grown and is recognized in over 40 countries.

The event is open to the public and everyone is encouraged to come and learn more about how we can prevent overdoses in Sheboygan. To learn more about Lighthouse Recovery Community Center Sheboygan visit their website at lighthouserecoverycommunitycenter.org or follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/lighthousesheboygan