In response to a recent spike in local overdoses, three new naloxone distribution boxes are being installed across Rapid City through a partnership between Monument Health and the nonprofit Emily’s Hope. The announcement comes just days after South Dakota officials issued a public alert due to a rise in suspected drug overdoses in Pennington County, many believed to be linked to fentanyl.
The new boxes provide free, anonymous access to naloxone, a medication commonly known by its brand name Narcan, which can reverse an opioid overdose within minutes. The effort is spearheaded by Emily’s Hope, a nonprofit founded by veteran journalist and news anchor Angela Kennecke after her 21-year-old daughter, Emily, died from fentanyl poisoning in 2018.
“Emily’s hope is named after my daughter, Emily. I lost her when she was 21 years old to fentanyl poisoning, and I started the organization shortly after that, because I don’t want people to give up hope,” Kennecke said. “Even though I lost my daughter, I want her legacy to be one of saving lives.”
Many volunteers with Emily’s Hope share similar stories of loss. Jenny Orr, who lost her 15-year-old daughter Kelcy to fentanyl in 2023, is now dedicated to preventing other families from experiencing the same tragedy.
“We made it our mission that we were going to make sure we were going to do everything that we could, that no other family would ever have to suffer the way that we had to suffer,” Orr said.