California Delegation – United Against Fentanyl

Micah and Michelle Sawyer served as California Co-Captains for United Against Fentanyl’s national Hill Day, helping coordinate and lead our California delegation.

Families, advocates, people in recovery and young people affected by fentanyl traveled from across the country to bring their experiences directly to Washington.

Meeting with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

We had the opportunity to meet with ONDCP representatives and introduce them to Micah’s Hugs and our work in Sonoma County.

We shared our perspective as a family that has experienced loss but also works directly in harm reduction, prevention, mental health, treatment, recovery and naloxone distribution.

Our hope is to remain connected and be included in future discussions about addressing the synthetic drug crisis.

Capitol Hill – Congressional Meetings

We helped lead our California delegation through meetings with congressional staff, including representatives from the offices of:

• Senator Alex Padilla
• Senator Adam Schiff
• Additional congressional offices

Although members of Congress were unavailable during our scheduled visits, we had meaningful conversations with their staff, shared our experiences and discussed the need for comprehensive approaches to prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction.

Our delegation left feeling heard, empowered and encouraged by the conversations.

DEA Headquarters – Faces of Fentanyl Memorial

We visited DEA Headquarters and the Faces of Fentanyl memorial, honoring thousands of lives lost to fentanyl.

Seeing the faces of so many loved ones was incredibly emotional and reinforced why families continue advocating.

We also had the opportunity to connect our local work and relationships with the DEA to the national conversation.

National Walk for Lives – Washington, D.C.

On Saturday, September 26, Micah Sawyer was one of the speakers at the National Walk for Lives.

He shared Micah Jr.’s story, the impact of losing a child and how that loss led us to establish Micah’s Hugs.

We were joined by families from across the country, including 13-year-old Mariah George, who advocates in memory of her brother, and Jeremy Kelsay, who shares his experience of substance use and recovery.

This event brought together grieving families, survivors, recovery advocates and organizations working toward a common goal of saving lives.

Launching Louder Than Fentanyl

Following our time in Washington, we are launching a new initiative through Micah’s Hugs called Louder Than Fentanyl.

We are calling on professional athletes, musicians, actors, entertainers, social media influencers and anyone with a platform to record a simple 30–60 second awareness video.

Our goal is to reach young people where they already spend their time—on social media—and encourage conversations about the changing synthetic drug supply, prevention, mental health, naloxone and recovery.

Participants are encouraged to post videos on their own platforms, tag Micah’s Hugs and use #LouderThanFentanyl #MicahsHugs.