Dozens gather downtown for addiction awareness vigil

'Lights of Hope' returned to Windsor’s City Hall Square for the seventh year Thursday, honouring those who lost their battle with addiction while pairing those still fighting with supports.

Lisa Whitehead, who founded the event, said she was proud to see this year’s turnout.

“I’ve lost a lot of loved ones myself, so honouring them is very important to me,” she said.

The first time the event was held, Whitehead said only about 20 people showed up.

This year, close to 100 came out.

“I feel very blessed. Very sentimental,” Whitehead described.

Her inspiration for the annual vigil, she said, came from her own struggles with drug addiction, and that of her son.

“I lost everything,” Whitehead said. “The horrors of addiction and the darkness that it takes you to, it’s terrible.”

Whitehead has spun that horror into hope through the event – with a slate of community resources and outreach programs setting up tents for anyone who knows someone struggling, or who’s struggling themselves.

This was the last year Whitehead herself will head the vigil, handing the reins to Ashley Shepley, with Windsor’s Community Connections – a grassroots organization aiming to spread the word about local outreach programs.

“If we work together, we’re going to make a bigger difference,” Shepley said.