Lenawee County is pleased to announce a town hall for all of our residents to help us develop our action plan to combat the opioid epidemic in Lenawee County. Planned for August 17, 2023, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., the town hall will be held at the LISD Tech Center at 1372 N Main Street in Adrian, Michigan.
The featured speaker for the event will be Eric Hipple, a former Detroit Lions quarterback. Hipple’s NFL accomplishments include two playoff bids, a divisional championship, and the Detroit Lions most valuable player award for the 1981 season. After his 15-year-old son’s suicide, he fell into a downward spiral. Bankrupt and jailed for drunk driving, he found the strength to seek therapy for his own depression and was able to make an amazing comeback. Since then, he has devoted his life to building awareness and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“We are so excited for this event,” explains Francine Zysk, Lenawee County Community Development Coordinator. “Mr. Hipple has a great message of resilience in the face of hardships. He has worked with professional groups, the military, law enforcement, schools, and communities across the country on programs for destructive behavior prevention. He is uniquely equipped to lead our discussion on substance use, tools to recovery, and how we can move forward as a community.”
The town hall is an opportunity for residents to contribute their thoughts and ideas to the action plan being developed by Lenawee County to determine how to allocate the dollars that will be received by the county in relation to the opioid settlement. Lenawee County has started to receive Opioid Settlement monies and will continue to do so until 2040. Attendees at the event will have the opportunity to win a personalized copy of his book, “Real Men Do Cry”, his inspiring story of tackling depression and surviving suicide loss.
“We hope to see many community members at this event,” states Zysk. “The opioid epidemic has touched us all in one way or another. We have an incredible opportunity with funding from this settlement to make a real difference in this community. We want to hear everyone’s voices as we create our plan. Everyone has a different perspective, and your opinion matters.”
For more information on Lenawee County’s Opioid Action Plan, the timeline, or this event, please visit lenawee.mi.us.