Ahead of the 86th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Angela Kenneke of Emily’s Hope sat down to talk about a mission that is as urgent as it is personal: getting life-saving Naloxone kits into the hands of the hundreds of thousands of people who descend on Sturgis, South Dakota, every year.

A Life-Saving Tool at the World’s Biggest Rally

Now in its second year at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Emily’s Hope has partnered with the ABC Coalition, the South Dakota Department of Social Services, the Department of Health, and the Attorney General’s Office to distribute free Naloxone — widely known by the brand name Narcan — to rally attendees. The opioid reversal medication comes as a nasal spray, packaged in two-dose kits, and can reverse an overdose if administered in time.

“Every year, people go home in body bags from drug overdoses,” Kenneke said. “We want to save lives. We want to keep them alive until we can get them help.”

The results from last year speak for themselves. Security personnel at the rally reported that kits were used on at least three or four separate occasions — meaning three or four lives saved, and likely more that went unrecorded.

Where to Find the Kits

During the rally, kits are made available through a creative and accessible solution: a repurposed newspaper box stationed at the armory, where anyone can stop and pick one up for free. Outside of rally season, the kits are available year-round at Sturgis Monument Health. The distribution point simply shifts locations during the event to meet people where they are.

Across South Dakota, Emily’s Hope has now distributed nearly 30,000 Naloxone kits — a number that reflects both the scale of the opioid crisis and the organization’s determination to meet it head-on.

You Don’t Have to Use Drugs to Need One

One of the most common objections Kenneke hears is, “I don’t use drugs, so I don’t need this.” Her response is simple: you never know when you might come across someone else who is overdosing. It could be in a public restroom, in traffic, or anywhere in between.

“If you had this kit with you in your bag and you could save someone’s life with it, why not carry it?” she said. Her vision is for Naloxone to become as commonplace as a fire extinguisher. Given that 95 percent of overdoses happen in private residences, she advocates for every household to keep a kit on hand.

How Naloxone Works

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, meaning it blocks opioid receptors in the body. Using it is straightforward: if you find someone unconscious with pinpoint pupils, shallow breathing, or bluish skin, administer the first dose in one nostril, call 911, then administer the second dose in the other nostril, and wait for emergency responders to arrive.

Critically, Naloxone cannot cause harm. If someone is suffering from a heart attack or stroke rather than an overdose and you administer it by mistake, it will not hurt them. It is also safe for children. “It’s like a miracle — it brings people back to life,” Kenneke said.

The Story Behind Emily’s Hope

The charity’s name and mission are rooted in profound personal loss. In 2018, Kenneke lost her oldest daughter, Emily, at just 21 years old — to fentanyl poisoning. Emily took a drug not knowing it contained fentanyl, a potent opioid. Had Naloxone been available and someone been present to administer it, her life might have been saved.

“Fifty percent of overdose deaths that happen have a bystander there,” Kenneke noted. “If they would have had Naloxone, those people wouldn’t have had to die.”

Kenneke founded Emily’s Hope in the aftermath of her daughter’s death — partly to process her own grief, but primarily to ensure other families would not have to endure the same pain. Nearly eight years later, the organization has grown far beyond Naloxone distribution, supporting people through treatment and a range of programs.

“I always say I’m trying to end something,” she said. “I’m not trying to start something.”

With tens of thousands of kits distributed and lives verifiably saved, Emily’s Hope is doing exactly that — one nasal spray at a time.