DIAMOND SPRINGS, Calif. — A community gathering focused on the continuing dangers of fentanyl will bring motorcycle riders, families and advocates together Saturday in Diamond Springs.
Mothers Against Drug Addiction and Deaths, known as MADAAD, and Warcry Motorcycle Club are joining forces for a fentanyl-awareness event scheduled for 3 p.m. Sept. 19 at Medina’s Irish Pub at 689 Pleasant Valley Road.
According to the organizers’ media advisory, the event will focus on three themes: remembering people who have lost their lives, educating the public about fentanyl and connecting individuals and families with prevention and recovery resources.
Admission is $25, and organizers have announced $1,000 in prizes.
The event also is expected to provide a distinctly visible motorcycle-community presence. Planned media visuals include motorcycles and riders, an educational booth operated by MADAAD, and interviews with event organizers and families affected by addiction and overdose.
A personal message behind the advocacy
MADAAD was co-founded by Jacqui Berlinn, whose advocacy grew out of her experience with her son, Corey, and his struggle with fentanyl addiction. The organization describes itself as a group of mothers and other community members working to prevent children and families from losing lives and futures to fentanyl.
Berlinn has repeatedly spoken publicly about the personal toll of the fentanyl crisis. In a 2025 interview concerning another dangerous substance appearing in California’s illicit drug supply, she said, “This is what keeps mothers awake at night.”
MADAAD was launched in 2021 and has subsequently organized protests, awareness campaigns and public events concerning fentanyl, addiction and recovery.
Saturday’s Diamond Springs gathering brings that advocacy into El Dorado County, where local agencies and community organizations have also developed programs addressing opioid overdoses and fentanyl exposure.
Fentanyl remains a local concern
El Dorado County has established local fentanyl-awareness and overdose-prevention resources through the El Dorado Coalition for Overdose Prevention and Education, or El Dorado COPE.
The county’s fentanyl education materials warn that illicit fentanyl can be substantially more potent than heroin or morphine and may be present in counterfeit pills or other drugs without the user’s knowledge. The county also provides information about naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, which can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
County officials have also incorporated naloxone into the response capabilities of trained Sheriff’s Office personnel. The Sheriff’s Office policy permits trained employees to administer naloxone when law enforcement is first to arrive at a suspected opioid overdose.
The local need for overdose-prevention efforts was underscored by an El Dorado County opioid report presented to county officials. County data cited in the report showed fentanyl-related deaths increasing from two in 2018 to 29 in 2022, while total opioid-related deaths reached 36 in 2022.
More recently, the county was involved in a federal investigation following a February 2024 incident in South Lake Tahoe in which four people died after being exposed to fentanyl that prosecutors allege had been represented as cocaine. The case involved the FBI, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Resources for El Dorado County families
For residents seeking assistance beyond Saturday’s event, El Dorado County Behavioral Health operates Substance Use Disorder Services, including prevention, treatment and recovery resources. The county lists a 24/7 Substance Use Disorder Services access line at 1-800-929-1955.
The county also maintains information on free naloxone distribution sites and fentanyl education through El Dorado COPE.
For an immediate emergency, residents should call 911. The county’s 24-hour mental health and substance-use crisis line is 530-622-3345.
Organizers say Saturday’s event is intended not simply as a memorial, but as an opportunity for people to learn about fentanyl, talk with families affected by addiction and find resources that may help prevent another loss.
Event information:
What: MADAAD and Warcry Motorcycle Club Fentanyl Awareness Community Event
When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at 3 p.m.
Where: Medina’s Irish Pub, 689 Pleasant Valley Road, Diamond Springs
Admission: $25
Prizes: $1,000
Media contact: Jacqui Berlinn, MADAAD executive director, 925-872-5427, jacqui@madaad.org
For additional information about MADAAD’s work, visit the organization’s official website.
