Around Town

Hundreds Gather Downtown for Overdose Awareness Vigil

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More than 400-plus people gathered at the Pop Up Park downtown Thursday night to honor those who have died from accidental drug overdoses as well as those struggling with addiction. Those attending the New Canaan Parent Support Group and New Canaan Community Foundation’s vigil on National Overdose Awareness Day heard emotional, heartfelt stories shared by four individuals—two from those in recovery from addiction and two from parents who had a child succumb to the disease. One of those parents was Paul Reinhardt, founder of the New Canaan Parent Support Group, whose son Evan, a graduate of New Canaan High School in 2009, passed away due to a drug overdose in July 2015. “Evan was a true jokester,” Reinhardt told the crowd on a clear, cool night. “He was always out to have fun and amuse those around him to make them happy—always thinking about the other guy.