DEA Los Angeles Field Division and United Against Fentanyl Host Walk for Lives Events on July 11
LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and United Against Fentanyl (UAF) will host nationwide Walk for Lives 2026 events on July 11, 2026. This national partnership is in support of DEA’s Fentanyl Free America initiative with more than 100 family-led community events across the United States in a single day.
WHEN: Saturday, July 11. 2026
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Hoag Hospital – 1 Hoag Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92663
WHO: Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, will be on site.
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.
Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, said, “Every step we take matters. We at DEA are profoundly honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with families who are lacing up this weekend. We are taking a unified stand to promote awareness, support prevention, and to strengthen a shared goal. That goal is to eliminate fentanyl’s deadly grip on our country.”
Special Agent in Charge Chrysanthis will participate in the Walk for Lives event taking place at Hoag Hospital, in Newport Beach. DEA support staff will participate in Walks at the following locations: Promenade Mall - 40750 Winchester Road, Temecula, CA 92591; Kona Coast Shopping Center - Kailua Kona, Hawaii; and Moʻoheau Bandstand - 329 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo, Hawaii 96720.
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.
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