Press Articles from the Media

The Courage to Speak® Foundation’s NEW Website Launched

The Courage to Speak Foundation Announces the 21st Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial 9-Mile Race to take place on Sunday, August 4th, 2019 at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, CT

By Julia Werth | Kileen Doyle never spoke to her son about drugs while he was growing up. She wasn’t even aware that some of his classmates and friends in Norwalk were using. That changed abruptly when her son’s long-time friend, a boy who had been on his swimming team and in his martial arts classes, died of an overdose: heroine mixed with Valium, a prescription drug.

By Tracey O'Shaughnessy | Ginger Katz wants the demand to stop. “There are dealers who are targeting our children,” said Katz, whose son, Ian, died of an opioid addiction more than 20 years ago. “Prevention is key. We are focusing on treatment and that is imperative. We have to save lives. But if we don’t look at the other side of the problem, we are going to repeat this cycle.”

By Tatiana Flowers | NORWALK — At 4 a.m. on Sept. 10, 1996, Ginger Katz’s dog climbed four flights of stairs and jumped onto her bed. Sunny woke her up from the best night of sleep she’d had in five months. The night before, Katz’ son said, “Mom, I want to see a doctor in the morning. I need to take care of my problem.” Ian Eaccarino, 20, struggled with drug addiction for about seven years, and Katz said his desire to seek treatment is what helped her sleep that night.

By Robert Sample | Were he alive today, Ian Eaccarino would be 41 — but his life was cut short by a drug overdose at the age of 20. Eaccarino’s death in 1997 gave his mom, Norwalk’s Ginger Katz, a new mission that involves keeping his memory alive and ensuring Eaccarino did not die in vain.