What a Few Can Do: Four Years of Narcan at Night

It started with an idea

Four years ago, a small group of us shared an idea. We didn't have a big budget or a master plan. We had a sense that something had to be done, and a willingness to do it.

That call to action became Narcan at Night. What began as a handful of people wanting to make a difference has grown into a journey beyond anything we could have imagined.

Four years later

We just wrapped our fourth annual Narcan at Night. For the second year in a row, it was the largest overdose awareness event in Nevada.

The numbers tell part of the story. More than 15,000 overdose kits were handed out by 777 volunteers, covering our city from end to end.

Every one of those kits is a chance to save a life. Every one of those volunteers chose to show up.

Pushing back, together

Once again, Las Vegas came together to push back. We pushed back against overdose rates that are taking too many of our neighbors. We pushed back against the stigma that keeps people from asking for help. And we spent the night teaching our city something simple and powerful: how to save a life.

Narcan in a pocket, a purse or a glovebox means someone can be there when it matters most. Knowing how to use it turns an ordinary person into a first responder.

Many organizations, one example

One of the most beautiful parts of the night was looking around and seeing how many different organizations were represented. Groups with different missions, different backgrounds, and different ways of doing the work stood shoulder to shoulder for one shared purpose.

No single organization could have done this alone. Together, we set an example for what a community can look like when it decides to take care of its own.

What a few can do

Four years ago, we were just a few people with an idea. Today, we're a movement of hundreds, backed by organizations across our city.

If there's one lesson we've learned, it's this: we can create change when we're willing to work together. That has always been the solution, and it always will be.

To every volunteer, partner and neighbor who showed up: thank you. We'll see you next year.