About Michael Taylor
Michael (Mike) Taylor, a Darien, CT native, was kind, witty, adventurous, sincere and generous. His spirit was magnetic. He lit up every room he walked into with his enormous smile and deep, infectious laugh and loved his friends and family deeply. An all-state tennis player at Darien High School, Michael also played Division 1 varsity tennis for three years, graduated from Villanova University and then started a career in marketing. He loved traveling, adventures, and being out on the water.
Michael also suffered from addiction, initiated with opioid painkillers prescribed after reconstructive shoulder surgery due to a tennis injury during his junior year at Villanova.
Michael embraced his struggles with substance abuse with the same tenacity he approached everything else in his life and refused to shy away from giving his own voice to the addiction epidemic. In April 2016, he sadly lost his battle with opioids after two months’ sobriety.
Why a Boat Race?
Every year, Michael and his friends would kick off the summer with days out on the water and a trip to Block Island, RI. Michael was a passionate sportsman, and could turn any activity into a competition. The more outlandish a plan, the more Michael respected it.
Inspired by this annual tradition, and in recognition of Michael’s love of spectaculars, Showdown on the Sound was born. The Event includes a “build your own boat” race, a silent auction, food trucks, lawn games, dunk tank and live music. Most importantly, Showdown on the Sound is proud to be a substance-free event.
These activities all represent, in one way or another, a part of life that Michael loved. We honor Michael’s memory by engaging in activities that he enjoyed and continue his mission to fight addiction and erase its stigma in our communities.
Why we partner with Shatterproof?
Showdown on the Sound is honored to have Shatterproof as a partner for this event because of its promotion of evidence-based solutions and advocacy on policy change at both the state and federal levels. The organization has provided wonderful support for families dealing with addiction and holding the important and open conversations to end the stigma. Through team fundraising, Showdown on the Sound will raise funds to further Shatterproof’s mission and use its platform to end the stigma.
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Shatterproof Create Your Own Fundraiser gives our supporters the opportunity to raise funds and awareness for our mission by creating their own personal fundraising campaign, creating an event in their community, or joining an existing event. The dollars you raise will help fund our strategic initiatives and programming. See our frequently asked questions (FAQ) page for common questions and answers. |
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Shatterproof is a national nonprofit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. |