VERNON, CT — A second celebrated mixed martial artist has committed to Vernon’s National Night Out event to promote the town’s anti-addiction and healthy lifestyle campaign.
The event is slated for Aug. 6 and the campaign, aimed at opioid use prevention, has been dubbed “Connection Beats Addiction.” The event is on tap for 5 to 8 p.m. at 20 East Main Street in the Rockville section of Vernon.
The town announced Wednesday that current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira will be joining former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and MMA legend Glover Teixeira. They will will meet fans, sign autographs and advocate for the Vernon opioid initiative, which focuses on treatment, intervention, helping families affected by opioids, drug take-back events, harm reduction, developing positive connections and working with the Vernon Public Schools.
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Teixeira committed to the event earlier this month and Pereira, who trains at Teixeira’s Bethel gym, Teixeira MMA & Fitness, followed suit. He has also held the UFC middleweight title.
“Our goals are simple,” Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said. “We want to help people avoid opioids, help people with substance use disorder connect with treatment, and save the lives of those who continue to struggle.”
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Brazil natives Pereira and Teixeira said they are enthusiastic about helping kick off Vernon’s Connection Beats Addiction campaign. Pereira and Teixeira live in Connecticut and are friends, training partners and ambassadors for their sport.
Having world-famous athletes such as Alex and Glover join us in launching this campaign will help us reach as wide an audience as possible with our life-saving message,” Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. “Our program of drawing people in to build connections can be replicated by other communities across the state and nation. Connection truly beats addiction.”
Pereira is easily one of MMA’s biggest stars, but it wasn’t always that way. He was born into poverty in Brazil, lost a brother to a drug overdose and battled alcoholism in his late teens and early 20s. He overcame his addiction by committing himself to his sport and rose rapidly to MMA’s highest levels.
“I have seen what addiction can do to a person and a family,” Pereira said in a statement about the event. “I have also seen what people can achieve when they get help and get sober. Passion for something such as sports can help save people and that’s why I am so happy to be able to support Vernon’s campaign to build connections and beat addiction.”
Teixeira has retired from competition, but also rose to the top of the UFC. He moved to the U.S. and worked as a landscaper, sending money back to his family in Brazil. He became enthralled with mixed martial arts and boxing and began training.
People who believed in Teixeira invited him to train with them, and he absorbed and mastered everything that was taught to him and became UFC world champion in the light heavyweight division.
He became the second oldest UFC champion in history at 42 behind Randy Couture and the oldest first-time champion in UFC history.
“These two remarkable athletes are examples of how building strong connections with family, friends and others can have a positive impact on one’s life,” said Matt Hellman, Vernon’s director of social services.
Michelle Hill, Vernon’s director of youth services, said the program is designed to address the full spectrum of impacts opioids have on people, families and the community.
“A primary goal of Connection Beats Addiction is to create a comprehensive program that enables people to engage in constructive, meaningful and rewarding activities so that they build healthy connections with others, making them less likely to use or abuse opioids and other substances,” Hill said. “We also want to help people get treatment, help families, sponsor drug take back events and harm reduction efforts, and work with our schools to reach young people with this important message.”
National Night Out is a nationwide program that builds partnerships between police and community. The Vernon Police Department and Vernon Community Network will be on hand to provide school supplies to young people from Vernon serve hot dogs, ice cream and other snacks.
The event also features a variety of community organizations.
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