Holliston Marks Overdose Awareness Day With Purple Flag Display
HOLLISTON — Holliston marked International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday with a display of 358 purple flags on the lawn of the First Congregational Church, one for each fewer opioid-related overdose death recorded in Massachusetts in 2025 compared with 2024. The observance, organized by the Holliston Drug & Alcohol Awareness Coalition, kicked off a month of National Recovery Month activities across town.
TOWN HALL
The town's News Flash announcement tied Monday's observance to statewide progress on the opioid crisis: Massachusetts recorded 978 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2025, down from 1,336 in 2024, a drop of 358 deaths. The Holliston Drug & Alcohol Awareness Coalition is displaying one purple flag for each life represented by that decline, with the flags remaining on the church lawn for about a week. Town Hall employees and residents were also encouraged to wear purple in solidarity Monday.
The coalition is inviting residents to submit names, photos, or stories of loved ones lost to substance use through an online form for a community memorial. HDAAC also announced an interfaith recovery service for September 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Fatima Shrine, open to the public with no registration required.
COMMUNITY & ARTS
Two dated community gatherings are on the town's events calendar in the weeks ahead: a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on September 11, and "Halfway to St. Paddy's Day" on September 12.
COMING UP
The Holliston Farmers Market runs Tuesday, September 1, with the Conservation Commission and Finance Committee also meeting remotely that day. Wednesday, September 2 is a busy one at Town Hall: the Traffic Advisory Committee, Economic Development Committee, Board of Health, Zoning Board of Appeals, Envisioning Future Holliston Wellhead Subcommittee, Community Preservation Committee, and Library Trustees are all scheduled to meet. The Envisioning Future Holliston Wellhead Bylaw Subcommittee follows on Thursday, September 3.
Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.