Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse holds 2024 west coast Humanitarian Awards

Approximately 80 invited guests sipped cocktails and savored a three-course dinner at Wally's Desert Turtle in Rancho Mirage while listening to some very heartbreaking stories about fentanyl use.

The event was Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse's (MAPDA) 2024 west coast Humanitarian Awards, held April 25.

MAPDA was founded by Janet Janes and The Honorable Mary Bono. Janes lost her 19-year-old son, Christopher, to an accidental overdose of methadone, and Bono is widely recognized as a national leader on addiction prevention, treatment and recovery.

With the help of other grieving mothers who had suffered similarly devastating losses, and out of a need to protect others from going through the same pain, a nonprofit focused on fighting the academic, specifically the misuse of prescription opioids like fentanyl, was formed. Bono told the group that we stand with our many sister organizations fighting this fight, and we will stand arm in arm with parents everywhere who have lost a child.

More than 100,000 people die annually from opioid overdoses.

The evening's emcee was local news anchor Karen Devine, and the title sponsor was Emergent BioSolutions.

Matt and Christine Capelouto addressed the crowd, telling the heart-wrenching story of their daughter, Alexandra, 20, who had purchased 11 pain medication pills from someone she connected with via Snapchat. The next morning, she was found dead and there were 10 and a half pills remaining. Such is the power of fentanyl-laced drugs.

The Capeloutos have collected more than 900,000 signatures in support of a bill they're calling Alexandra's Law, which will make it easier to charge drug dealers with murder. Surprisingly, there is currently no such law. The bill will be on the ballot in November.

Three awards were given out. The first, the Courageous Leadership Award, went to Republican Congressman Ken Calvert, a lifelong resident of Riverside County. Calvert is co-chair of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Caucus as well as chairman of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee.

Entrepreneur Stacie Mathewson was named Humanitarian of the Year. Mathewson, who lost a son to a drug overdose in February 2013, is relentlessly committed to preventing addiction and protecting our youth. The Alaska native currently lives in Reno, Nevada, and is a staunch supporter of MAPDA.

The other Humanitarian of the Year award went to the Coachella Valley's own Vincent Battaglia. The businessman founded Renova Energy in 2006 and has been very involved in the community, including providing solar systems at no cost to deserving families and supporting many local nonprofits, including the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, Animal Samaritans, Desert Cancer Foundation and FIND Food Bank.

Musical entertainment was provided by Jam and Tea, a musical duo comprising Matthew Woodruff and MAPDA co-founder Janes.

Thank yous went out to many members of the community who came together to make the evening a success, including Anthony and Wanda Matranga, owners of The Printing Place in Palm Desert, who have added MAPDA as one of their preferred philanthropic endeavors; Gregory Goodman and Alan Kelly, owners of My Little Flower Shop in Palm Springs, who generously donated the bouquets given to several people that evening; and Jeffrey Tropple and Ellie Koch, owners of Nothing Bundt Cakes, whose takeaway treats always bring a smile to people’s faces.

Learn more about MAPDA by visiting mapda.net or emailing info@mapda.net.

Carole Stephen-Smith began writing in Scotland for a woman’s weekly at the age of 15 and then covered American celebrities for the London Evening Echo. Arriving in the desert, she wrote for Desert Woman in the 1990s. Carole focuses on charities that help women as well as medical causes, especially breast cancer awareness, and all aspects of child abuse.