Families turn fentanyl grief into awareness with new Roanoke billboards

Families Turn Fentanyl Grief into Awareness

Two new billboards along Orange Avenue in Roanoke honor Virginians lost to fentanyl and raise awareness about the crisis.

For families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, the pain never fades. Now, the pain is being transformed into a purpose.

Two billboards are located at 609 and 723 Orange Avenue NE in Roanoke.
Nineteen Virginia families are sharing photos of their loved ones on the billboards.
The memorials will remain in place through October as a public reminder of the people behind the numbers.

The billboards are presented by Rachel's Angels, an Ohio-based nonprofit, with help from V.A.

The visual presence of loved ones lost to illicit fentanyl transforms statistics into human stories.

Author's summary: Families raise awareness about fentanyl crisis.

WDBJ — 2025-10-12