The Gregory Pascale Foundation

Hi, my name is Luke Kazmierski and I am writing on the behalf of the Gregory Pascale Foundation as a standing board member. I was one of many close friends of Greg. On February 6th, 2022, Greg tragically lost his young promising life to fentanyl poisoning. This is his story.

Greg was the type of person who embraced every new phase of his life. No matter what that step was, he made sure to carry forward the best parts of every chapter into each new adventure. At 26, Greg decided to take a leap of faith and relocate his life to Chicago in the Fall of 2021. He accepted a job as a corporate accountant. He entered this new phase with a tight-knit group of lifelong friends and strong ties to his family, and was just starting to settle into his new life in a new city.

Greg’s time was cut short when, after a night out with some friends, he unexpectedly passed away in the early morning hours from Fentanyl poisoning.

Greg did not suffer from Substance Use Disorder and was unaware that the substance he was using as a recreational drug contained fentanyl. As he was not a regular drug user, Greg’s tolerance to any opioid (fentanyl is a synthetic opioid) was very low. It only took a very minimal amount of exposure to kill him.

If this seems like a story you’ve heard before, you’re probably right – One of the most heartbreaking parts of Greg’s story is that it is not unique. So many similar stories and cautionary tales already existed prior to his death.

This is why some of Greg’s closest friends and family came together to establish The Gregory Pascale Foundation. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to raising awareness and educating on the dangers of fentanyl poisoning, as well as increasing resources and advocacy to prevent the fentanyl crisis. But even though we will dedicate ourselves to saving as many families as we can from Greg’s fate, the way he passed will not be the most prominent thing we remember about him.

The funds raised will be used to support education efforts on the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl, provide local resources for harm reduction, and fund an annual scholarship in Greg's memory.

For more information on the foundation and to read more of Greg's story, or to get more involved, please visit our website at https://www.gregorypascalefoundation.com/ .