The GPF Foundation was established through an outpouring of love by close friends and the Friedman family to honor the memory of Gregory Paul Friedman. Its mission is to support education, appropriate treatment and overall awareness of the dangers related to recreational drugs.
Most people are unaware of the potentially life-threatening risks associated with recreational substance use. As an organization dedicated to harm reduction, the GPF Foundation has a dual-pronged approach that includes both educational and medical initiatives.
The Foundation has created a partnership with Lake County’s medical college, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, to develop and deliver peer-led multimedia presentations to universities and other organizations on the risks associated with using ecstasy and other recreational drugs and treat those having a negative reaction. This program is also provided to high school students, health educators and first responders. Currently, a Spanish language version is under development.
At the same time, too often medical personnel may not recognize the signs or know the best way to treat those presenting with a bad reaction due to ingesting recreational substances. The GPF Foundation forged a partnership with NorthShore University HealthSystem, Rosalind Franklin University and others to develop, offer and disseminate emergency department/medical and behavioral health professionals continuing education, clinical screening tools, and protocols to appropriately diagnose and treat recreational drug related dangers.
Over the last year the GPF Foundation has held training sessions with a variety of organizations. First responders — firefighters, police and EMTs — have been trained in Glencoe and Mundelein; the Foundation, at the invitation of the Lake County Department of Health, conducted training for health educators from 17 Illinois counties. Harm Reduction Events were held in Fremont Township, Highland Park and on the campus of Lake Forest College.
Recognizing that new techniques in education allow wider reach to medical professionals, the GPF Foundation developed with Rosiland Franklin and Full-Code Medical Simulation an online training tool. To date, the app-based simulation tool has been used by more than 200,000 physicians, first responders and medical school students around the world to better diagnose and treat patients.
Now, the GPF Foundation is working with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to develop an educational video game for players as young as middle school. The goal is to use a narrative style of gaming to expose the target audience with a scenario that allows them to make decisions on risk behaviors associated with drug use.
Every year the GPF Foundation holds its annual event to keep patrons, donors and other interested parties up-to-date on the progress in fulfilling the not-for-profit’s mission of saving lives.
The Seventh Annual Event will be October 17 at Northmoor Country Club. To learn more, including how to purchase tickets for "An Evening of Knowledge," please visit GPFFoundation.org.
This year’s keynote speaker, author Don Winslow, will continue a conversation started at last year’s annual event. Back by popular demand with a new story to share, Winslow will reveal his personal story about how communities can come together after tragedy to save lives. The life saving work of the GPF Foundation is what drew him to support its work and mission. The community is encouraged to attend to listen, learn, and be moved by this award-winning, eight-time New York Times bestselling author.