Boys soccer represents Keepin’ Clean for Coop
The DEA had a stand at the game sharing facts about Fentanyl in addition to the Davis family sharing their story Tuesday, Sept. 27
September 27, 2022
The boys soccer game supported the Keepin’ Clean for Coop organization Tuesday, Sept. 27. At the soccer game, the DEA had an informational stand to share the dangers of the Fentanyl epidemic.
Public information officer Andree Swanson described her excitement surrounding this opportunity.
“I love the fact that I’m here to vent with high school students that want to listen and actually hear what I have to say,” Swanson said. “I also love that they recognize the danger of this issue.”
In order for Libby Davis to get the word out about the dangers of Fentanyl, she needed help. Fortunately, Swanson was ready to share all the information Davis needed.
“We asked for one thing when we reached out to the DEA last August and that was high schoolers being educated on this matter,” Davis said. “Since then, we have been very blessed to have people reach out to us to help us share Cooper’s story.”
For the soccer team, this game meant more to them. The team was representing a cause in support of late classmate, Cooper Davis. Senior Nico Pendleton was hoping to push for change that night.
“It felt good to represent something that’s so meaningful to our community,” Pendleton said. “Hopefully [we can] push for a change nationally and I am glad to be a part of this movement.”
To Swanson and Davis, it is important for the community to see the reality of Fentanyl and what can come of experimenting with fake pills. Swanson shares how she got the word out with Davis.
“[Davis] was looking for the official response about Fentanyl and so we said sure we will come and talk about it,” Swanson said. “It’s a partnership that is perfect because she can talk about the reality of the drugs that we see.”
As the Fentanyl epidemic grows, spreading Cooper’s story has become necessary for Davis. Being able to come out to soccer games and share his story could save someone’s life.
“I want to be able to continue to use Cooper’s story to warn others and students can remember it as a cautionary tale,” Davis said. “It just takes that one pill, that one time and you might not be able to learn from that mistake.”
At the end of the night, the team took home the win 2-1 and also brought home something more meaningful. Playing hard for the win, Pendleton shares how the game went.
“The energy during the game was great, you could tell the team wanted to win really badly,” Pendleton said. “We showed up and played a great game and I am glad we could represent something much bigger.”
