On a rainy Saturday morning, more than 180 people gathered in Driver to remember lost loved ones and look forward to a sunnier future free from addiction and the pain it brings.

It was the third year for the StrongWILL 5K and Kids One-Mile Fun Run and Walk. April Brooks, founder and president, started the organization in memory of her brother, William West, who died in 2016 from a heroin overdose. The organization now raises awareness about drug addiction and helps people struggling with addiction by raising money for local organizations that provide resources for addicts and their families.

Drug addiction is a serious problem in America. An estimated 72,000 drug overdose deaths occurred nationwide in 2017, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. About 42 percent were from synthetic opioids, which was the sharpest increase from the prior year.

After that came heroin, natural and semi-synthetic opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine.

It’s one thing to look at the number of deaths, think about the money spent on health care and imagine the effects on American institutions such as our criminal justice system, workforce and public safety. But to truly think about the lives, futures and promise lost to drug addiction in America is staggering.

The hope of organizations like StrongWILL is that with more resources, no more lives will be lost to addiction.

Last year, the 5K fundraiser collected more than $8,500 for the Suffolk Police Department to buy automated external defibrillators to carry in its patrol cars.

This year, the proceeds of the race will allow local hospitals to purchase equipment and comforts that will help newborn babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a withdrawal syndrome in infants caused by in-utero exposure to drugs.

StrongWILL is among those organizations leading the charge against drug addiction and its effects on individuals and families. We applaud Brooks and those working with her to change the tide of this disease.

Donations can be made through the Facebook page at facebook.com/strongwillevents.org.