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Ladies taking stand against drugs
Palatine-Lindsey Dulian is one of the founders of Take A Standthe and part of a group of five who founded it. From left Shannon and Fairh Brody, Megan Harriman, Lindsey Dulian Heather Riley and Ann Brody. Dulian, Riley and Brody. | Joe Cyganowski~For Sun-Times Media
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NAME: Lindsey Dulien BEST KNOWN AS:
Take A Stand founding member HOMETOWN:
Lake Zurich
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Updated: June 4, 2012 10:40AM
Following the overdose death of yet another young woman, a group of Lake Zurich area women said enough is enough.
When 24-year-old Lindsey Dulian, of Lake Zurich, heard about another overdose death in January, she took to Facebook with the post: Who’s with me? Let’s do something about this. Shannon Brody, a 21-year-old Palatine resident quickly replied within one day of the post. Within the next week 24-year-old Heather Riley of Lake Zurich and 23-year-old Megan Hartigan of Lake Zurich also got on board. Ann Brody, Shannon’s mom and Lake Zurich resident, also quickly got involved. The group formed Take A Stand, the community’s stand on heroin and controlled substances, with a focus is awareness.
“We all knew many of the individuals that had passed away in the past five years due to overdose,” Dulian said, adding the 20-somethings are all Lake Zurich High School graduates.
Take A Stand’s mission is to create a mass awareness to all families in the community of the abundance of controlled substances such as heroin and cocaine. In turn, this will make parents aware, deter youth from using and create positive involvement in the Lake County area, according to the group’s Facebook page.
Take A Stand has already held two events since its formation just a few months ago. On Feb. 26, the group held a community assembly at Hackney’s in Lake Zurich with about 50 people of all ages in attendance.
On April 22, Take A Stand held a bowling fundraiser at Brunswick Zone in Lake Zurich, raising $802. The funds raised will go to the Jeremy Stom Remembrance Foundation.
The Jeremy Stom Remembrance Foundation believes that giving adolescents an opportunity to gain awareness of themselves through recreational activities will help them reach their full potential, according to its website. The ultimate vision is to aid adolescents in personal growth, as well as to help them discover a sense of freedom from everyday pressures and find joy within themselves.
Take A Stand also hosts bi-weekly Open Houses. The next Open House is scheduled from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. May 15 at T.G.I. Fridays, 676 S. Rand Road, in Lake Zurich. During that time the founders pass out brochures and help spread the word about Take A Stand and its mission.
“The issue is important because there’s just so many people that have gone down from this,” Dulian said. “Not just from addiction, but some first-timers, too.”
Dulian said according to information Take A Stand received from the Lake County Coroner’s Office, there were 99 drug related deaths in Lake County from January 2011 through March 2012.
“Heroin and controlled substances kill you fast,” Dulian said. “This heroin and cocaine is killing faster than we can say the word.”
Take A Stand’s next awareness event is scheduled for 10 a.m. June 23 in Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Road in Lake Zurich. The community awareness event will feature four guest speakers: a recovering addict, an individual who has lost a loved one, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran and a professional with Alexian Brothers. It will also feature a guest speaker from the Jeremy Stom Remembrance Foundation, who is one of a handful of organizations Take A Stand has partnered with for its mission. Those in attendance will then be invited to take a walk around the lake and enjoy food and beverages after the walk.
“We think the awareness itself could make a big difference,” Dulian said.
For more information about Take A Stand, log on to www.facebook.com/takeastandil2012.
