BETHALTO - The Riverbend community is invited to celebrate recovery and memorialize those who have been lost to overdose at an upcoming vigil.
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From 4–8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, Foster’s Light in the Dark will host their third annual Drug Overdose Awareness Candlelight Vigil at Bethalto Park. Complete with speakers, music, resources and a dove release, the vigil promises to honor those who have been lost while also celebrating those who are living in recovery.
“Last year, we had memorialized 200 people, but we had 246 years of clean time show up. So that leaves the community with the hope that recovery is working and it is possible,” said Christina Foster-Beegle, who founded Foster’s Light in the Dark.
The vigil will feature a memorial wall, and attendees can bring photos of their loved ones to display on the wall. People are encouraged to light a candle for those who have been lost. Foster-Beegle emphasized that you don’t have to say your loved one’s name or participate if you don’t want to, but you can simply light a candle and listen.
Williams Family White Dove Release will sponsor the dove release. Several speakers are signed up, and Foster’s Light in the Dark is in the process of ordering t-shirts. Worship Loud will provide live music throughout the event.
There will also be several resources available. Local organizations that focus on substance use and mental health will be present with information about their work. Attendees can learn more about how to get support or how to volunteer with these groups.
“This year, we’re going to focus more on the resources that we have in our community to help people that are struggling, and grief resources for people that are stuck in grief,” Foster-Beegle said.
These issues are important to her. Foster-Beegle lost three brothers to suicide and a best friend to an overdose. These experiences, along with her own recovery, inspired her to start Foster’s Light in the Dark as a way to help those who are struggling.
She wants the Drug Overdose Awareness Candlelight Vigil — and the upcoming Suicide Awareness Candlelight Vigil in September — to promote hope and healing.
Foster-Beegle also hopes to eventually create a memorial park for those who have been lost to overdose and suicide. She wants to give their loved ones a place to grieve and remember them.
If this mission resonates, you can help Foster’s Light in the Dark with their efforts. Visit their official Facebook page or their official website for more information about their work, including how to volunteer and how to donate.
In the meantime, Foster-Beegle hopes many people come out to the third annual Drug Overdose Awareness Candlelight Vigil on Aug. 29 in Bethalto. She believes their mission — to memorialize, celebrate, and promote recovery — is an important cause that will help a lot of people.
“We celebrate us living a life free of drugs and alcohol,” she added. “It doesn’t matter how you get there. We need to celebrate you for just having the strength to get through the day without picking up and using.”
For more information, visit the official Facebook event page.
If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
