NEW CASTLE (Feb. 25, 2025) – In Delaware’s largest recovery event, 2,000 people are expected to gather for a morning of awareness, remembrance and uplift as atTAcK addiction hosts its 12th annual E-Racing the Stigma 5K on Saturday, March 1, in New Castle.
The 5K, which winds through the streets of New Castle and nearby Battery Park, will begin at 9 a.m. on the grounds of St. Peter School, 515 Harmony St. Same-day registration ($40) begins at 8 a.m. in Tent 1, one of two heated tents on the grounds. Registration before Saturday is $35 and is available at www.atTAcK 5K.com
Parking for 5K participants is available at William Penn High School and George Read Middle School, with shuttle buses running continuously between those schools and the grounds of St. Peter School. Participants are also reminded to bring new and gently used shoes to donate.
As part of the event, many of the 36 sponsors will have tables in Tent 2 to provide educational materials and to help raise awareness among 5K participants. The Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) will provide free Narcan training to attendees, including free kits. Narcan is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.
atTAcK addiction co-founders Don and Jeanne Keister – along with many others – started the E-Racing the Stigma 5K in 2014 as a fundraiser for the grassroots nonprofit. The first Saturday in March was chosen as the annual date as a way to honor the Keisters’ son, Tyler, who died of an accidental heroin overdose in December 2012. Tyler’s birthday is March 1.
“The E-Racing the Stigma 5K is not just a race, it’s a rally,” Don and Jeanne Keister said. “It’s a way for so many families, friends and co-workers to come together and honor the people they have lost, to celebrate individuals in recovery, and for all of us to join in reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorder.”
The race’s co-chairs are Barbara Moore, atTAcK addiction board member and secretary, and Fran Avena, atTAcK addiction advisor, who are supported each year by dozens of volunteers, including people living at atTAcK addiction’s recovery residences. The 5K is coordinated by Fusion Racing.
“We are grateful to our sponsors, who join us in the fight to reduce the impact of addiction, and especially to the thousands of people who join us for this annual morning of fellowship and uplift,” Moore and Avena said. “Together, we are building a stronger community of recovery all across Delaware.”
If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction, call the Delaware Hope Line at 833-9-HOPEDE (833-946-7333; visit HelpIsHereDE.com; or contact atTAcK addiction at 302-365-5221 or info@attackaddiction.org.
In the 12 years since atTAcK addiction was founded in February 2013, more than 4,100 lives in Delaware have been unnecessarily lost to overdoses. In 2023, Delaware saw the first decrease in suspected overdose deaths in more than a decade, declining from 537 lives lost in 2022 to 527 in 2023. An even larger decline in overdose deaths is expected when the 2024 data is released later this year.
atTAcK addiction, a statewide nonprofit that is run almost entirely by volunteers, raises awareness of the disease of addiction, assists individuals and families with information and resources, and supports people living in recovery. The organization owns five recovery residences in Delaware, connects people to recovery housing scholarships, provides free Narcan training and educational sessions, advocates for legislation, raises awareness at community events, and operates a Resource Center open to the community at 210 Peoples Plaza, Newark. To learn more about atTAcK addiction, visit the website.
