Chapter of the Week: University of Colorado Boulder

End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. In cities and on college campuses, we trust them to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. Our members and volunteers are committing endless hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.

Today, we're proud to highlight our CU Boulder chapter! We spoke with President Gigi Montgomery, Fundraising Director Bella Consentino, and New Member Director Sophie Chittle about their backgrounds and experiences with End Overdose!

What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?

Gigi: I have had a few people and peers in my life who have passed away due to opioid overdose. I joined End Overdose my freshman year of college in 2023 after learning about it on social media. I wanted to become a member of this organization because our world has lost far too many lives due to overdose. I have always had a passion for helping people and when I learned about End Overdose I knew that it was the perfect fit for me. If I can help raise awareness, reduce stigma, and give others the knowledge and tools that they need to make a difference in a crisis, then I feel like I am honoring the memories of those we've lost while making a positive impact on the community around me. This organization has truly changed my life and I am so excited for what the future of the Boulder chapter holds.

Bella: I joined End Overdose in 2023–my freshman year of college—after attending a long form training for my sorority. In 2022, I lost a friend, Will Noland, to an overdose. He lit up every room and made everyone he met feel like they were special. After seeing the impact Will made on people’s lives, I felt the need to continue his legacy. Joining End Overdose gave me the perfect opportunity to find a group of like minded people who want to save lives and change the world. I love this organization and everybody who supports us!

Sophie: I joined End Overdose after seeing the impact that overdose can have on a community, and I wanted to be a part of a positive change. As a senior, I am so proud of how far this chapter has come and can’t wait to see what they plan in the future!!!

Can you describe your experiences in your membership roles?

Gigi: I stepped into the role of Chapter President after spending a semester as a general member and a year working beside Sophie Kennedy (previous president) and Halle Francis (Previous VP) as their assistant and then held the role of “President Elect." I am forever grateful for the trust our previous exec team had in me to take over the club and fill their shoes. This is my first year as the Chapter President and it is the most rewarding experience. Being able to connect and educate students on a peer-to-peer level is what makes this role so special. It is a privilege to meet and train people who care as deeply about this topic as I do. It fills my bucket to see how many individuals care and express their interests in wanting to help in any way possible. The impact that the Boulder chapter has is incredible and I have the best team working beside me. I have learned so much from holding this position and am so excited for what is to come in the future.

Bella: I’ve been the Boulder chapter’s Fundraising and Events Director for one semester now, and I previously served for one year as the assistant to Gracie Stockwell, who previously held this role (and did a phenomenal job, might I add). In my cumulative year and a half holding both these positions, I have learned so much about engaging my community and finding fun ways to raise money. I’ve been a part of planning flag football tournaments, hockey tournaments, merch drops, and a few music events (including the charity show that Levity did with us here in Boulder!).

Sophie: As our New Member director I have had the privilege of meeting so many new people and bringing them into the fold of the amazing work we do. Hosting Levity for a charity concert was UNREAL and it was so sick to see people show out for a good cause. Also we got to meet John and PJ so that was pretty sick. :)

What’re the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?

Gigi: We have done so many amazing events and training from Flatiron Fest my freshman year, to our yearly peckish fundraiser, to tabling at Club Studio Time. Each event has made such an impact on the Boulder community and gotten our name out there ever more. However I believe that one of our major highlights was our Levity charity show that we hosted in November of this year. It was genuinely such a special night for our entire team as well as the community of Boulder. We were able to raise a ton of money, train an incredible amount of people, and distribute a large amount of supplies to attendees. Everyone who came up to our table would tell us how “amazing the work we are doing is and that they are so happy to have us in the community” "These are the kinds of responses from people that fuels my passion for this work even more. It makes my heart so full to hear about how we are making a difference in our college town and around the world (I ended up crying to the rest of my exec team after this event because I was so proud of them and so amazed by what we were able to pull off with this event).

Bella: I have to say, the Levity show is topping the charts for me in many ways. We raised thousands of dollars, trained 100+ people, and distributed almost 200 doses of naloxone and 300 fentanyl test strips. We got an overwhelmingly positive response from our local community and received so much love from everyone. People were so excited that they got to see their favorite artists and support us at the same time!

What do you envision for the future of your chapter?

Gigi: In the future, I want to extend our trainings to other clubs and organizations on campus, and continue building meaningful partnerships within the CU Boulder community. My goal is to make overdose prevention education as accessible and normalized as possible, not just something students hear about at events, but a permanent part of the culture here.

I also hope to grow our membership and create even more opportunities for students to get involved, whether that’s through trainings, events, or behind-the-scenes work. The momentum we’ve built this year has been incredible, and I want to keep pushing that forward by empowering new leaders, expanding our resources, and reaching people who may have never heard about overdose prevention before.

Ultimately, I envision our chapter becoming a trusted, consistent source of education, support, and community on campus. If we can continue saving lives, reducing stigma, and giving people the tools they need to help in a crisis, then we’re doing exactly what we set out to do and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.

Bella: In the future, I would love to host more music/art related events and fundraisers to broaden our reach in our community, as well as deepen the positive & joyful connection people are forming with overdose prevention.