The Vermillion Community Combats Opioid Epidemic with Free Narcan Kits
Free naloxone kits are now available at Pump ‘n Pak to help prevent the loss of future community members from the devastating epidemic of opioid overdoses.
On Dec 23 of 2023, Kelcy, the daughter of Jenny and Jim Orr, was found deceased in her room, poisoned by accidental exposure to fentanyl. Kelcy, a 15-year-old Vermillion resident, had a love for running cross country.
“Kelcy was the person that if she walked into a room, everyone knew it. She had that aura about her. Today, I know that she’s in the room and she’s saving lives.” Jenny Orr said.
As parents, Jenny and Jim were inspired to advocate for spreading awareness for the dangers of opioid use.
“We all knew about the epidemic, we’ve heard about the epidemic. You say it’s going to happen someplace else, it’s not going to happen to us,” Orr said.
“My husband and I took it upon ourselves that we were never going to let this happen to someone else. That was really our goal, to not let it happen to another family.”
The couple started attending Emily’s Hope monthly support group for people that have lost their loved ones or children to opioids. This led to their thoughts on the availability of naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, in the Vermillion community. Since Narcan is available over the counter now, it is more accessible to people.
“When they started talking about placing these Narcan Boxes in the Carpenter building in Sioux Falls, Jim and I thought that we needed that in Vermillion. Not only did this happen to our 15 year old daughter, we also have a highly vulnerable population.” Orr said.
Jim started talking to the people at Pump ‘n Pak to see if they would consider the possibility of narcan kits being placed in their store. The store welcomed the idea with open arms. Emily’s Hope’s, along with the Orr’s, started to put their plan into action.
Angela Kennecke is the founder of Emily’s Hope.
“I lost my 21-year-old daughter, Emily, to fentanyl poisoning. She died in her apartment and there was no naloxone there. We want everyone to carry it as part of our mission at Emily’s Hope to save lives,” Kennecke said.
Kennecke placed her first fire free naloxone dispenser box on May 7, 2024, which is Fentanyl Awareness Day. Kennecke is looking forward to continuing to bring awareness to this epidemic by placing more boxes in different locations. She hopes to place boxes in Pierre, Rapid City, as well as one on USD’s campus in Vermillion.
“This Emily’s Hope free naloxone box in Vermillion is more than just a lifesaving tool—it’s a tribute to Kelcy Orr’s memory and a commitment to ensuring no other family has to endure such a devastating loss. By making naloxone accessible, we are giving hope and empowering the community to save lives,” Kennecke said.
Naloxone Kits are available at Pump ‘n Pak 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There is a QR code on the box to show users how to properly use it.
“The best thing about Narcan is that if you walk down the street and find someone lying unconscious and you are not sure what is wrong, you can give them Narcan and it will not harm them if opioids are not the reason for them being unconscious,” Orr said.
There is always the potential of someone putting an opioid in your drink or touching something that has been exposed, that could cause a reaction.
“To know that we can provide these life saving resources, is how we are keeping Kelcy alive. I feel like I gave my Christmas gift to the city in her honor,” Orr said.
The kits have been available at Pump ‘n Pak since Nov. 21 and have already had to be replenished with 50 more kits.
Emily’s Hope Foundation and Kelcy Orr’s parents hope this inspires the city of Vermillion to start educating on how to prevent the use of opioids and thus lessening opioid overdoses. On Jan. 25, Emily’s Hope Foundation is hosting an Art Show and Auction as a fundraiser to continue the distribution of free naloxone kits.
