The Courage to Speak® Foundation, Inc.: Press Articles
 
Press Articles | Press Releases
Past Articles: 2010-2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
 

The following eight links are the full newspaper articles above.

Finding Courage to Speak of Son's Death, New York Times

2000 Woman of the Year - Ginger Katz, Connecticut Post

'You don't want my pain' Heroin addict's mother makes impression with eighth-graders, The News-Times

Couple tries to prevent tragedy by speaking about their own, Effingham Daily News

Decade of Dedication: Ginger Katz's Courage to Speak anti-drug program marks 10 years, Connecticut Post

For the Children, a Mother Revisits Her Sorrow, New York Times

Katz still has the Courage to Speak against drugs, The Stamford Times

Knowledge is Power- Ginger Katz is on a mission to educate parents about drugs, The Advocate

 

Current News

July 25, 2010

hour

By Steve Kobak
Hour Staff Writer

Diehards Run Through the Heat

Calf Pasture Beach holds a bittersweet significance for anti-drug crusader Ginger Katz and the Ian James Eaccarino 9-Mile Memorial Road Race and 5k Health Walk -- an event dedicated to her son -- seems to bring out the best ones. While waiting for the first runner to cross the finish line Saturday morning in the beach's parking lot, Katz reminisced about the time she spent running at the beach and visiting her son, who worked at Calf Pasture.

Click here to read more.

July 18, 2010

Listen to Ginger Katz Radio Interview with John LaBarca on News-Talk 1400 WSTC / 1350 WNLK Radio, Fairfield County

July 9, 2010


Shoreline Plus – July 9,2010

First County Bank Foundation awards $44,620 in grants to Norwalk nonprofits

In its continuing mission to give back to the communities of lower Fairfield County, the First County Bank Foundation recently announced the distribution of $44,620 in grants to Norwalk-based nonprofits devoted to helping children and families cope with unemployment, housing and child safety.   Established in 2001 in honor of the bank’s 150th anniversary, the First County Bank Foundation was created to distribute funds annually to nonprofit organizations that support community and economic development for children and families.

Click here to read more.

June 21, 2010


The Chamber Report – June 2010

Speaking out by Moving: Courage to Speak Holds Run/Walk

The 12th Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial 9-Mile Race and 5K Health Walk run by the Courage to Speak Foundation will take place on Saturday, July 24, 2010 starting at 8:00 am at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk. Ian worked at Calf Pasture Beach the summer before he died and the race is dedicated to his memory. Last year, over 450 runners participated in this extraordinary community event that underscores the importance of passion, commitment and a healthy drug-free lifestyle.

Click here to read more.

June 17, 2010

“Finding Passion” on News Channel 12 – Hometown Hero Segment with Ginger Katz

May 10, 2010

Winner: Nonprofit Advocate of the Year

Ginger Katz, The Courage to Speak Foundation Inc.
Educating students about drug abuse and saving young lives

“Silence is a killer when it comes to children and drug abuse,” said Ginger Katz, founder and CEO of The Courage to Speak Foundation. “If we don’t speak about this problem we’re not going to have solutions. And if we don’t have solutions, children will die.” Katz knows this heartache. She and her husband Larry lost their 20-year-old son, Ian, in 1996 to a drug overdose. From that moment, their lives changed forever.

Click here to read more.
Click here to the Editors Notes.
Click here to an Invitation.

May 5, 2010

Listen to Ginger Katz Radio Interview with Dawn Wachner on News/Talk 1400 WSTC / 1350 WNLK Radio, Fairfield County

April 07, 2010

Drug prevention program in Bridgeport schools gets grant

The Courage to Speak Foundation has received a $14,000 grant from an anonymous donor through the Fairfield County Community Foundation to continue its work in the Bridgeport public school system.

The funding, given for the second consecutive year, will support the implementation of the Courage to Speak drug prevention curriculum for grades four through seven in eight Bridgeport schools.

 
Click here to read more.

March 26, 2010

A hero among us

Editor’s Notebook

Even though I have gotten to know Ginger Katz over the last couple of years through her work with the Courage to Speak Foundation, I had actually never heard her Courage to Speak presentation until last Thursday evening at the sixth annual Courage To Speak Empowering Youth to Be Drug-Free Family Night.

Ginger shared her pain of watching drugs take her child's life and the heartbreak that followed--and still continues.

I don't know where she finds the strength and fortitude to tell that story over and over again, but like Mayor Richard Moccia and Police Chief Harry Rilling, I am glad she does. Because in listening to the 13 student speakers read their thank you essays to Ginger, I believe her message is helping these kids reach out to people they trust when they are in a compromising situation, and that despite peer pressure, some of these kids will continue to develop ways to resist drugs.

Click here to read more.

March 25, 2010

Katz recognized as friend of education at Family Night

By Nicole Rivard

Last Thursday evening at the sixth annual Courage To Speak Empowering Youth to Be Drug-Free Family Night, Ginger Katz was speechless. Those who know Katz, founder and CEO of the Courage to Speak Foundation in Norwalk, know that's a rare thing.

Katz was moved to silence when she got up to accept the 2010 Distinguished Friend of Education Award from the Connecticut Association of Schools, the highest award given by the association.

Click here to read more.

March 23, 2010

The Daily - Norwalk Paper logo.jpg

Kids Vow to be Drug-Free

by Moina Noor

Genesis, 12, made a vow to be drug-free Thursday night in front of 200 people at West Rocks Middle School. Seventeen other Norwalk elementary and middle school students joined Genesis on stage, as part of the sixth annual “Empowering Youth to be Drug Free” family night sponsored by the Courage to Speak Foundation. “I learned how bad drugs are and that something really horrible can happen if you take them,” said Genesis.  “”My parents have never taken drugs and I look up to them.”

Click here to read more.

March 13, 2010

Courage to Speak's family night slated March 16

The 6th Annual Courage To Speak Empowering Youth to Be Drug Free Family Night will take place on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., at West Rocks Middle School, 81 West Rocks Road, in Norwalk (snow date: March 18).

All are invited to the event, which will bring families, educators, and community leaders together to affirm their commitment to keeping our children safe from drugs. Dinner is included.
 
Click here to read more.

March 13, 2010

hour

By Chase Wright
Hour Staff Writer

Family Night will focus on teen alcohol abuse

After a decade of declines, a new national study shows teens are more likely to abuse drugs they often encounter at parties and other social gatherings. The topic is sure to be of discussion at The Courage to Speak Foundation's sixth annual Family Night, being held Tuesday, March 16.
 
Click here to read more.

March 3, 2010

The Bulletin

By Terri Yannetti
Correspondent

Katz aims to educate parents about drugs

MILFORD – When Ginger Katz lost her 20-year-old son Ian to a heroin overdose in 1996, she made it her mission to spare other families such heartache.

“The number one key to preventing substance abuse is for parents to talk to their children about the dangers of drugs,” said Katz. “But only one in three parents do this,” she said. “Parents have a lot of power and they need to use it.”

Katz established the Courage to Speak Foundation, Inc., to foster open communication about the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse and she developed the Courageous Parenting 101 program to give parents the tools to keep their children safe.
 
Click here to read more.

February 23, 2010

Courage to Speak® Empowering Youth to be Drug Free Family Night Radio Interview with John LaBarca on WSTC 1400 / WNLK 1350

January 14, 2010

By Pam Johnson
Shore Publishing

Addiction Kills Kids: Son’s Death Gives Mom “Courage to Speak”

On Thursday, Jan. 28, Ginger Katz of Norwalk, founder of The Courage to Speak Foundation, will be here to discuss how failure to communicate the dangers of drug- and alcohol abuse aided and abetted the loss of her son's young life. The free talk is sponsored by Guilford Youth & Family Services (GYFS) and takes place at 7 p.m. in the Guilford Free Library.
 
Click here to read more.

January 1, 2010

Watch Ginger Katz’s interview on News Channel 12 Education Notebook with Amelie Wilson

December 17, 2009

By Nicole Rivard
Editor for Norwalk Citizen News

Knowledge is Power, Norwalk Citizen

This time of the year is particularly hard for Ginger Katz of Norwalk.
Her son Ian, who died of an accidental drug overdose on Sept. 10, 1996, would have celebrated his 34th birthday on Dec. 31. It's also difficult not having him around at Christmas, a holiday he loved so much.
 
Click here to read more.

Please click on any of the other articles to see their content:

 

Ginger Katz talks about the Courage to Speak® - Courageous Parenting 101™ program for parents.

September 23, 2009

“News Channel 3 WFSB Courage to Speak-Courageous Parenting 101™ with the Milford Prevention Council”

September 23, 2009

hour

By Chris Rhatigan
Register Correspondent

Milford group to focus on substance abuse

MILFORD — A new group of city leaders, businesspeople, parents and faith-based representatives will seek to combat substance abuse problems.

Milford grant coordinator Marcia Winter said the Milford Prevention Council will meet about five times a year along with having several special events and will focus on substance abuse problems of the city’s youths.
 
Click here to read more.

September 18, 2009

hour


Addiction could destroy anyone

On September 10, 1996, I lost my 20-year-old son, Ian James to a drug overdose just before he was going into a rehabilitation program the next day. Ian had used tobacco, marijuana and alcohol in high school.

At one point he was picked up by an officer at Cranbury Park in Norwalk. He was scolded and told to go home. The officer said "If I ever find you in this town again with any drugs, I will arrest you, now go home."

Click here to read more.

August, 2009

WSTC 1400 / WNLK 1350 Fairfield County’s News Talk “Conspiracy of Silence” Radio Interview with Ian Gordan

July 26, 2009

hour

By Steve Kobak
Hour Staff Writer

Going the distance: Event races awareness against drug abuse
As 16-year-old Norwalker Lindsey Russo hustled to keep her lead in a nine-mile race that began at Calf Pasture Beach early Sunday morning, she thought about the anti-drug message behind the race.

Russo placed first among females who ran the Ian James Eccarino 9-Mile Memorial Road Race and 5k Health Walk and during her run, she said she thought about Eccarino -- whose parents formed the anti-drug advocacy group "Courage to Speak Foundation" after he died of a drug overdose.

"(Ian's) story is very inspirational to me, and I wanted to go out and win it for him," she said.

The 11th annual road race was hosted by the Lightfoot Running Club and attracted approximately 250 runners. Ivan Garciacasati, 29, of Greenwich, placed first overall, finishing the race in 55 minutes. Click here to read more.

June 15, 2009

hour

By Lauren Mylo
Hour Staff Writer

Volunteers turn out to learn how to help parents facing drug issues with children
It's as easy as training communities to help parents teach their children, but it can prevent tragedy.

The Courage to Speak Foundation held facilitator training for its substance abuse education and prevention program, Courageous Parenting 101, Monday night at West Rocks Middle School. Forty-six facilitators have been trained since January 2008.

The Courage to Speak Foundation was founded by Ginger Katz, whose son Ian died at age 20 from an accidental heroin overdose.

Before a presentation on how to talk with parents in the Courageous Parenting 101 program, what kinds of questions to expect and how to market the program, each facilitator stated where they were from and why they attended the session. Click here to read more.

 

April 3, 2009

NORWALK CITIZEN NEWS

By David Hennessey
Staff Writer

Students share lessons from curriculum
In a crowded auditorium at West Rocks Middle School in Norwalk Monday evening, hundreds gathered to celebrate the fifth annual Courage to Speak Foundation's Family Night, an event designed to spread the foundation's mission of empowering youth to be drug-free and to recognize the kids who have completed its drug prevention curriculum. Click here to read more.
 

The Advocate

By David Hennessey
Advocate Staff Writer

Students speak out against drug use
NORWALK -- Nathan Hale Middle School seventh-grader Jack Patterson took the microphone and told an audience of hundreds how a family tragedy convinced him never to abuse drugs. Jack read a letter telling the story of a cousin who committed suicide and his cousin's younger brother, who subsequently struggled with substance abuse. Click here to read more.
 

March 30, 2009

By Chris Bosak
Hour Staff Writer

Pledging to stay drug-free Students read letters to Courage to Speak program founder
Jenna Pelligrino, a student at Ponus Ridge Middle School, knows that sometimes it is not always best to keep a friend's secret. If that friend's secret is drug use, the worst thing you can do is remain silent. Pelligrino relayed that message as she read from her letter in front of nearly 300 people at The Courage to Speak Foundation's Empowering Youth to be Drug Free Family Night held Monday evening at West Rocks Middle School. Click here to read more.
 

March 29, 2009

By Lauren Mylo
Hour Staff Writer

Pledge to live drug-free at heart of 'Family Night'
One of Ginger Katz's favorite parts of Family Night is when children read pledges to remain drug-free into the microphone in front of their community supporters. And the heart of evening is when Ian's story is read, and the community stands together to support the children who make the pledge. Click here to read more.
 

March 05 2009

By Jenna Cho
Staff Writer

As a lifelong resident of Old Saybrook and a teacher in the Lyme-Old Lyme schools
 
"You're not going to find kids in this area that are involved in gangs and the traditional troubling things that parents associate with drug use," said Cournoyer, the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School health teacher and the school district's health coordinator. "You're going to find students who are good students, good athletes.Sometimes, the best kids make the worst choices."

read more

February 23, 2009

"Courageous Parenting 101" Tonight
Lymes' Youth Services Bureau and the Community Action for Substance Free Youth (CASFY) are co-sponsoring Courageous Parenting 101 developed by the Courage to Speak Foundation, Inc. This is a free, four-session substance abuse prevention and education program for parents wishing to arm themselves with the knowledge of how to keep their children safe.
 
read more
see flyer

This website is partially funded by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The Courage to Speak® Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation. The organization has been approved by the Internal Revenue Service for tax deductible status under Section 501(c)(3). Courage to Speak is the trademark of The Courage to Speak® Foundation, Inc. © Copyright 2006 Ginger Katz, Courage to Speak. All rights reserved.
 


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