Golf outing raises substance abuse awareness
PEWAUKEE, Wis. - Across the country, overdose deaths peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic. One group is working to tackle the issue.
Golfers hit the fairway at Western Lakes Golf Club on Saturday afternoon, July 24 to raise money and awareness about addiction. The hope is if more people talk about it, fewer families will lose loved ones.
On hole 16, Jason Fritz kept trucking. On the fourth hole, Tom Farley also just did his best. Both men have more than a round of golf in common; both lost their brothers to drug addiction.
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For Farley, his brother Chris' death would create a legacy.
"All I’ve ever wanted to do was use Chris’ name and my work and what I’ve done to get that attention to all these other little foundations that are doing really great work," Farley said.
Chris Farley
Terry Fritz may not have been famous, but his family is likewise working to give his memory meaning.
"Really, I want to give him a voice. There’s a lot of people who have passed away from substance abuse disorder," said Fritz, president and founder of the Terry Fritz Memorial Foundation.
Terry Fritz
The Terry Fritz Memorial Foundation golf outing has already raised more than $100,000 over five years. After a year canceled due to COVID-19, they are back swinging – knowing it's needed now more than ever.
"COVID’s terrible, and it’s affected a lot of people, but we want to bring it back to the forefront and let people know that people who were suffering from substance abuse disorder came out of this way worse than they went in," Fritz said.
Terry Fritz Memorial Foundation golf outing
Together, the two families are working to honor brothers lost too young.
"I think he’d be proud, happy. I found my purpose in life because of this. I was just going along doing my thing, and then after he died I just realized that I don’t want another family to feel what we feel," Fritz said. "I hope he’s looking down and he’s happy."
Milwaukee County is on pace in 2021 to break the record for the number of overdose deaths in a year.
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