Empowering El Paso County to end fentanyl poisoning.

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Article posted by Madison Gerchow

Beyond Overdose 2025 recap

On March 18, XFoundation hosted “Beyond Overdose: Addressing the Risk of Fentanyl Poisoning.” Nearly 100 students, educators, parents, health professionals, and community leaders from across El Paso County – including Mayor Yemi Mobolade – joined us at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs to learn about accidental fentanyl poisoning and how to better protect our community from it. Timed during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), a national initiative to shatter the myths about substance use, this event aimed to provide science-based facts and meet people where they are in their awareness journey.

Fentanyl poisoning isn’t happening to “those kids” or “those families.” It’s happening to knowing and unknowing victims here, in our schools, homes, and neighborhoods. Fentanyl poisoning isn’t a “them” problem. It’s an “us” problem.

The heart behind the movement

Last Fentanyl Awareness Day, my dad and CEO of XFoundation, George Gerchow, attended an event hosted by our Summit County partners, SCOPE (Summit County Opioid Prevention and Education), featuring keynote speaker Benjamin Westhoff, author of Fentanyl, Inc. During Ben's talk, he learned fentanyl distributors in China operate like tech companies and that the crisis began surging in the 2010s.

Curious, I picked up Fentanyl, Inc. myself.

I couldn't believe how naive I had been. During my high school and college career, drugs like marijuana, molly, and cocaine weren’t uncommon, but we were always warned about “cutting agents” like baby laxatives or meth. Fentanyl was never on my radar. I was under the ignorant assumption that if we looked out for each other, stayed hydrated, and called our parents when things went astray, we’d be okay.

In March 2021, my 17-year-old baby brother, Xavier, took what his friend said was Percocet. He was lied to. The illicit “Percocet” only contained fentanyl and a trace of cocaine. Xavier died instantly, and his friend survived. Xavier was unknowingly poisoned and robbed of his future.

Fast forward to December 2021, my family and I turned our grief into action, founding XFoundation to 1) raise awareness about fentanyl poisoning and 2) remove barriers to athletic and musical opportunities. Xavier taught himself to play several instruments and was a sports buff who loved playing basketball. In his honor, we provide our community with positive outlets.

Now, four long years later, we hosted the Beyond Overdose panel to help prevent other families from the pain of losing their loved ones.

Why We Gathered

The Beyond Overdose panel empowered El Paso County to tackle this avoidable reality through education, open dialogue, and community collaboration. Benjamin Westhoff, our keynote speaker, is an investigative reporter whose work continues to expose the global systems fueling the fentanyl poisoning crisis.

After the keynote, our diverse panel had an open, honest conversation about the stigma that surrounds drug use at large and how it is fueling the poisoning epidemic we see today. On the panel, we welcomed:

  • Jessica Breemen, Chief Growth & Impact Officer, DanceSafe

With 15+ years in harm reduction and social entrepreneurship, Jessica advances DanceSafe’s mission of drug education, risk reduction, and public health advocacy.

  • Kristi Brewster, Licensed Professional Counselor and Addiction Counselor, Denver Recovery Group

With nearly a decade in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), Kristi supports individuals through addiction and mental health recovery with compassion and evidence-based care.

  • Sandra Paz, 7th Grade Counselor, Jack Swigert Middle School

A devoted youth advocate, Sandra supports students at Jack Swigert Middle School – XFoundation’s pilot scholarship partner – and brings professional and personal passion to this work as a mother of two.

  • Madison Gerchow, COO and CoFounder, XFoundation

Speaking from lived experience after losing 17-year-old brother Xavier Gerchow to fentanyl poisoning.

Moderated by Dr. Brittany Speck, Psychology Consultant at XFoundation and Visiting Professor at Northwest University, the panel covered the troubling stigmas around overdose, poisoning, harm reduction, and the importance of creating safe spaces for challenging conversations to keep your loved ones safe.

By design, the panel provided a 360 view of the fentanyl epidemic, including:

  • Harm reduction for recreational use:

DanceSafe has been setting harm reduction standards since 1998 and is the original manufacturer of drug-checking kits in North America.

  • Addiction and recovery:

Denver Recovery Group offers evidence-based treatment for opioid addiction in a compassionate, non-judgmental environment. Their commitment to health equity ensures services are accessible, affordable, and culturally responsive.

  • Youth advocacy:

Jack Swigert Middle School, a local school in Colorado Springs, is the pilot institution for XFoundation’s scholarship program. With Jack Swigert's help, we are providing positive outlets for kids who may otherwise not have access to promote a healthy lifestyle from a young age.

The audience asked questions spanning across each of these buckets, such as:

  • “Where do you draw the line from harm reduction to enabling?”

Helpful resource: “What is Addiction” by MaLeigha Miller, M.A., NCC, LMHCA, SUDPT

  • “Is fentanyl a socio-economic issue?”

Helpful resource: “Drug Overdose in Colorado: Counts, 2020-2023, includes Race/Hispanic Origin.”

Fentanyl for good

To fully understand fentanyl’s role in our community, we must acknowledge its legitimate medical use. After our panel session, we featured a video from “addictiontokdok,” or Dr. EMZ, DO, D.ABA, FASAM, President of Zona Medical Consultants LLC and Founder & President of Dr. EMZ Dreams, Inc.

As an anesthesiologist and addiction medicine expert, Dr. EMZ educated the audience on fentanyl's pharmaceutical significance in modern medicine and the differences between its illicit drug supply fueling the poisoning public health crisis we see today.

Watch Dr. EMZ’s full video here.

Turning Knowledge into Action

To wrap up the event with action, the UCCS Recreation & Wellness Center led a hands-on NARCAN training, teaching attendees how to recognize and respond to opioid overdose and poisoning, where they covered Colorado’s Good Samaritan Law and shared the 4-step process for emergency response:

  1. Call 911 immediately.
  2. Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
  3. Spray NARCAN into one or both nostrils. The person does not need to be breathing for it to work, and because they may relapse, it's crucial to have two doses (when possible) on hand while waiting for first responders.
  4. Stay with the person if it’s safe to monitor their condition and inform emergency personnel.

Every participant received a NARCAN administration certification and left with a renewed sense of readiness and purpose.

A United Front

Our expo floor featured incredible organizations advocating for the crisis and on the front lines of this fight, including:

The booths had life-saving tools, educational resources, and cookies to represent the “chocolate chip cookie effect,” demonstrating how fentanyl is unevenly distributed in counterfeit pills.

We’re so grateful to our community partners; they made this event possible.

What Now?

There’s no shortage of scary headlines. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but protecting the people you love doesn’t have to start big. It starts small. One step at a time

Here are some ways to get started:

  • Talk to your kids and the people you love. Ask questions. Listen.
  • Share what you’ve learned, even if it’s just one fact that stuck with you.
  • Carry NARCAN. It won’t hurt someone if they don’t need it, but it could save their life if they do.
  • Speak up for policies that protect people instead of punishing them.
  • Support local organizations doing the work on the ground.
  • Lead with curiosity instead of judgment.
  • And if you can, donate to XFoundation to help us keep this work going.

This event was a step forward, but it’s just the beginning. Together, we can protect our community, empower our youth, and end fentanyl poisoning.

Thank you for being part of our journey.

Watch the full event recording here:

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