DEA and United Against Fentanyl Host Walk For Lives on July 11
MINNEAPOLIS – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and United Against Fentanyl (UAF) will host Walk for Lives Saturday, July 11, at more than 100 locations nationwide, including a family-led event in Winona, Minnesota. This national partnership with UAF is in support of DEA’s Fentanyl Free America initiative.
Walk for Lives events are organized by bereaved family members – typically parents who lost children to fentanyl-related deaths – and supported by trained volunteer leadership teams and community partners from the public and private sector. Each event will feature a one-mile walk, family testimonials, expert-led educational presentations, and a community resource fair connecting participants to lifesaving services including prevention education, recovery support, and grief counseling. Representatives from the DEA Omaha Field Division will attend and participate in the 11 a.m. event in Winona, with Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie providing remarks and leading the walk alongside event organizers Trinity Wicka and Malia Fox.
Fentanyl-related overdoses and poisonings remain the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45. On average, nine high school students die each week from a drug-related death. More than one million parents throughout the United States grieve the loss of a child to a drug-related death.
“The individuals and families organizing these walks should be commended,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “Despite the heart-crushing weight that comes from the loss of a loved one, these individuals continue to raise their voice and educate others on the deadliness of fentanyl. They do this in the hope that their message will save another family from suffering the same unimaginable loss they’ve encountered. It’s an honor to walk alongside these families as together we work to raise awareness and make America fentanyl free.”
For more information Visit Walkforlives.org to learn how to get involved in Walk for Lives 2026, including locations and registration. For free prevention resources and educational materials visit DEA.gov/fentanylfree
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