The Gloucester Public Schools Family and Community Speaker Series will conclude with two powerful presentations by a couple focused on alcohol awareness and the dangers of substance abuse.
Kathi & Chris Sullivan will present “Taylor’s Message” and “Not in the Playbook” on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at the Gloucester High School Auditorium.
“Taylor’s Message” is an alcohol awareness program, while “Not in the Playbook” focuses on substance use awareness. The content is targeted for ages 14 and up.
The Family and Community Speaker Series co-sponsored by the Gloucester Public Schools and Gloucester Health Department is designed to help families with some of the most common family struggles and dynamics. There is no charge for admission for the Sullivans’ presentation, and please join the Gloucester Public Schools for a community resource fair starting at GHS at 5 p.m. on May 1 (free pizza will be provided by Firing Up Pizza & Grill while it lasts).
Go to https://sullivansmessage.com/ for more information about the speakers.
Details about “Taylor’s Message” from the website:
Kathi Meyer began to speak about substance use, alcohol awareness, mental health, wellness, and the importance of making good choices in 2009 after her 17-year-old daughter Taylor passed away from underage drinking after attending a series of underage drinking parties.
Taylor was found drowned in 2 feet of water because of the alcohol in her system, after getting lost from an outside party in the woods at an abandoned airport. Kathi somehow started Taylor’s Message only two months later. Her hope was to let her daughter’s passing have purpose.
Taylor’s life ended early in her senior year because of many poor choices one fateful weekend. It was Homecoming night, and Taylor and her friends chose to go to a series of underage parties. They ended the night at an abandoned airport, deep in the woods. Taylor found herself lost and all alone in the thick, dark woods and swamp. She never came home again. She was found three days later, face down in a swampy marsh on the river. She drowned in two feet of water because of the alcohol in her system. Poor choices from Taylor, from her friends, from the community and from her Mom, is why such a beautiful life with so much potential had ended.
She never thought that she would become an advocate for the prevention of underage drinking and social host liability. Wanting to make something good come from the experience of losing Taylor, combined with staggering youth underage drinking statistics are what drives Kathi to share Taylor’s Message.
Details about “Not in the Playbook” from the website:
Chris Sullivan grew up in North Attleboro, MA, and he was always athletic. His talents and hard work ethic paid off when he was offered a full football scholarship to Boston College and, after graduating early, was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1996.
With the Patriots, Chris played in two Super Bowls (and has a ring to prove it!). He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his community was so proud of all that Chris had accomplished.
He was battling anxiety and an addiction to drugs and alcohol that took over his life. Opioids and alcohol numbed his depression and anxiety, and he eventually gave up his career in football because the addiction was more powerful than his passion for the sport. His substance abuse continued to grow, eventually evolving into a $,1000/day heroin habit. Chris chased his first “high” as hard as he chased professional football, and the disease of addiction proved to be more powerful than one of the strongest guys on the team.
Chris finally asked for help and has been sober since December 15, 2008. He now realizes it is the strong people, not the weak, who reach out and ask for help when they need it. Today, Chris has chosen to share his struggles with others and leaves his audiences with many life skills that will help them make good choices surrounding alcohol, drugs, anxiety, depression and mental health. Humble, honest and authentic, Chris’s message resonates with everyone, from athletes to parents to students to anyone struggling with mental wellness.
Good Morning Gloucester 