6th Annual Showdown On The Sound To Honor Darien Native Michael Taylor

Darien CT

13 May, 2022

5:12 PM

Description

DARIEN, CT — On May 21, the community will come together in-person with Shatterproof for the sixth annual Showdown on the Sound to remember Darien native Michael Taylor, and increase awareness and funding for the prevention, treatment and recovery of addiction. Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. The free event will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Weed Beach in Darien, and feature a "build your own boat" race, a silent auction, food trucks, lawn games, dunk tank and live music. All are welcome to attend this substance-free event. For more information on the event, how to donate and to learn how to create a team for the boat race, click here. "By engaging in some of the activities that Mike enjoyed, we honor his memory. By participating in our event, you will help increase awareness and funding for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of this disease. Addiction needs to be battled with empathy and love. Michael was full of both," Shatterproof said in a news release. Described as kind, witty, adventurous, sincere and generous with an enormous smile and deep, infectious laugh, Taylor grew up in Darien and was an all-state tennis player at Darien High School. He also played Division 1 tennis for three years, graduated from Villanova University and then started a career in marketing. But Taylor 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 use 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," Shatterproof said in a news release. Every year, Taylor and his friends would kick off the summer with days out on the water and a trip to Block Island, RI. Inspired by this annual tradition, and in recognition of Taylor's love of spectaculars, the Showdown on the Sound event was born. The inaugural Showdown on the Sound was held on May 20, 2017 and has become an annual event held at the beginning of the summer. COVID-19 did not allow for a large community event in 2020 and 2021. In total, Showdown on the Sound has raised over $815,000 for Shatterproof so far. The organization is hoping to bring that total to over $1 million this year. To learn more about Shatterproof, visit their website.