Breaking the Stigma of Addiction - Building Hope
Breaking Barriers - Hope is Alive © 2016 All Rights Reserved | Breaking the Stigma of Addiction P.O. Box 534 Uniontown, OH 44685 |
| Steps of Change - Salem, Ohio - 2015 Steps of Change is an awareness walk created to educate, embrace and empower families and individuals whose lives have been impacted through substance use. The event included a mile walk, speakers, a shoe memorial to honor those lost to addiction, and educational booths. Taylor Bornstein and Amanda Westbury were both speakers at this event that included the Lt. Governor Mary Taylor as a guest speaker. |
| "Gone But Not Forgotten" A presentation by Amanda Westbury, Alaina Warner, and Taylor Bornstein - all seniors at Lake High School at the time - created with the help of Mrs. Marshall, a guidance counselor at Lake High School, to tell the stories of their brothers who they lost to overdoses and to address the topic of addiction. Their hope was to break the stigma of addiction, bring awareness to the epidemic and hopefully save some lives in the process. The girl's first presentation was at Lake High School on November 25, 2014, first to the student body and again in the evening to the local communities. They continued speaking to schools and at other events throughout the remainder of their senior year. |
| Fed Up Rally - October 2015 We joined thousands of people in Washington, DC in October of 2015 to let the world know we were FED UP. We learned that there are thousands, upon thousands of families in the U.S. losing young, beautiful people to addiction - the majority of them first becoming addicted to prescription pain killers legally prescribed for minor pains, sports injuries, dental procedures, etc....reasons that these pills were never intended for....So we walked for Tyler, we represented him with hope in our hearts that change will happen so no other families will suffer the pain of losing someone who should have had a bright future. Now we fight for you Tyler. |
| Unite to Face Addiction - October 2015 This Unite to Face Addiction concert/rally held in Washington DC on October 4th was nothing short of amazing - an experience we will never forget. We enjoyed great performances by Joe Walsh, John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, the Fray, Steven Tyler, Sheryl Crow, and more. We listened intently as wonderful speakers such as Dr. Oz, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and more took the stage. Our greatest hope is that those individuals who are lost in the disease of addiction can find recovery and that no more families need to suffer the pain from losing someone they love. |
| Advocacy Day Monday, October 5, 2015 was Advocacy Day on Capital Hill, for many to meet and address our Senators and Congressmen about the opiate epidemic that has affected our country. Travis and Shelly had the opportunity to meet with staff members of both Senator Sherrod Brown and Congressman Tim Ryan to share their son, Tyler's, story of his 6 year battle with opiates. They shared the many issues that so many face everyday and were met with much receptiveness by staff members. |
| Good Samaritan Bill Testimony - October 27, 2015 Travis spoke to members of the Statehouse on October 27th to tell them the story of his son Tyler who lost his life to an overdose on September 28, 2014. Travis asked for Ohio to finally pass House Bill 249 - the Good Samaritan Bill - so that individuals will not fear arrest if they call 911 to help another person who is overdosing. Travis went on to tell those in attendance that the individual that Tyler was with the night he died dumped him in a vacant lot to die instead of calling 911 to get him help. Tyler was on a 3-week waiting list for help when he died. |
| Hope is Alive Project Shelly and her sister Laura started a service project to honor those lost too soon to addiction. They raised money from generous sponsors to make a total of 36 backpacks filled with needed essentials to be passed out to women on the streets of Akron. Their mission was to share love and to give hope to those still caught in the bonds of addiction. Each backpack was created in memory of a loved one lost to addiction and was embroidered with that person's name and dates. The goal of the project was to bring comfort, love, and hope to the recipient while honoring a loved one lost to the disease of addiction. |
| Testimony at the Statehouse - April 2016 Travis testified at the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on amendment to House Bill 110 Good Samaritan Bill. Travis told Tyler's story of being left in a vacant lot by a friend while overdosing instead of calling 911 for fear of criminal charges. |
| Steps of Change - Canton and Cuyahoga Falls - 2016 Steps of Change is an awareness walk created to educate, embrace and empower families and individuals whose lives have been impacted through substance use. The event included a mile walk, speakers, a shoe memorial to honor those lost to addiction, and educational booths. Travis was a speaker at the Canton event that was held at the McKinley Monument. |
| Presentation at Springfield Jr. High/High School - May 18, 2016 Travis spoke to the students of Springfield Local Schools at a Breaking Barriers - Hope Is Alive presentation about the risks of opiate pain medication and the correlation between prescripton pain pills and heroin use. |
| Opiate Conference in Columbus - May 2, 2016 Thousands attended the 2016 Ohio Opiate Conference in Columbus. Travis was one of several family members to share his son's story of addiction to the crowd. |
| F.A.T.H.E.R.S Motorcycle Run - June 18, 2016 Breaking Barriers - Hope Is Alive attended the F.A.T.H.E.R.S Motorcycle Run in Canton at the Stark County Fairgrounds. The Warriors Project had a white Mustang there that could be signed in memory of someone lost to addiction. |
Fundraiser for Arika Hall - July 23, 2016 Breaking Barriers - Hope Is Alive team members attended the Bring Arika Home Fundraiser, and Travis was the guest speaker. He shared Tyler's story and encouraged the crowd to help break the stigma of addiction and our hope that Arika can be found with the reward money that was raised. Arika Hall has been missing since February of 2016. |
| Hope After Heroin Walk - June 4, 2016 Breaking Barriers - Hope Is Alive attended the Walk Against Heroin in Akron along with many others families and individuals impacted by the disease of addicition. Travis was asked to speak the large crowd of families and individuals in recovery. |
| Roundtable Discussion with Rob Portman - April 2016 Travis participated in a Roundtable Discussion with Rob Portman, and several Akron area individuals who are involved in addiction and recovery. |
| Signing of the Good Samaritan Bill - June 13, 2016 Shelly and Travis had the privilege of attending the signing of the Good Samaritan Bill by Governor Kasich. |
| Teamsters National Convention - June 29, 2016 Travis had the opportunity to address the entire Teamsters National Convention in Las Vegas with the story of his son Tyler and Breaking Barriers - Hope Is Alive's ultimate goal of building a treatment facility on the land where Tyler was left to die. The delegates stunned the Bornstein's during the hour and 45 minutes that followed his speech by pledging 1.4 million dollars to Breaking Barriers - Hope Is Alive to be used to build a facility in Akron, Ohio. |
1st Annual Tyler Bornstein Memorial Golf Outing Sunday, August 21st, 2016 A beautiful day to remember and celebrate the life of Tyler Bornstein, who loved the game of golf and recorded two hole-in-ones before the age of 16. Tyler golfed on the Lake High School golf team his Freshman - Junior years of high school and went on to walk on the Walsh University Golf Team, earning a golf and academic scholarship. Thank you to all who attended the golf outing and the dinner reception following at the Raintree Country Club. Now We Fight For You |
Call to Action at Lock 3 - August 9, 2016 Breaking Barriers - Hope Is Alive attended the Call to Action put on by Heroin is Killing My Town. Travis had the opportunity to speak to the thousands in attendance, asking area businesses/hospitals who is ready to step up and match the $1.4 million raised by the Teamsters Union to help build a treatment facility in Akron. A candlelight vigil followed to remember all who have lost their lives to the disease of addiction. It was a great night to help the city move forward in the fight against the opioid epidemic. |
