St. John's United Church of Christ Interim Pastor Rev. Jane Duffield (right) and board member Donna Sailer hold the crosses with shirts on them that the will display next week to commemorate the overdoses in Butler County in 2016 at St. John's United Church of Christ in Evans City on Wednesday, May 10.

EVANS CITY — Members of St. John United Church of Christ plan to display a stark reminder about the 74 Butler County residents who died from drug overdoses last year. The church members say their loved ones deserve empathy and support.

The Rev. Jane Duffield, pastor at St. John, said 74 crosses next week will be adorned with white T-shirts and placed in the hillside beside the church on East Main Street.

Each shirt will be lettered with a birth date and an “M” or “F” to signify gender. Each of the crosses will represent one of the 48 men and 36 women who lost their battle with addiction last year.

The display, which will be installed to resemble Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington D.C., will go up on Monday and remain on display until a special service at 10 a.m. May 21.

The family members and friends of those commemorated in the display, those currently or formerly struggling with addiction, caregivers or anyone touched by the epidemic of drug abuse in Butler County are welcome to attend, Duffield said.

“It is our desire to urge everyone to protect themselves from the very real, life-threatening danger of drug addiction and to offer support and comfort to all whose loved ones died in this tragic way,” Duffield said. “We want them to know they are not alone in their grief.”

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