Amber Mersing was a fun and loving person who protected those to whom she was closest. “She was very much a free spirit. She liked to dance,� her uncle, Lou Rainaldi, 45, of Whitehall, said about his goddaughter, who was like a child to him. “She was very smart and creative … She was just fun to be around. She was a wonderful person.� Rainaldi recalled a family vacation with Amber when she purchased Hawaiian skirts and danced around the house with his two daughters. And every time Amber would come to visit, she brought her uncle an Arizona Sweet Tea — his favorite — and the two would talk for hours. Yet Amber dealt with difficulties in her childhood, Rainaldi said. “She had tragic things happen to her,� he said. She turned to marijuana when she was 14 to help escape the pain, Rainaldi said. By 24, Mersing, a Whitehall native who lived in Sharpsburg, had tried other drugs, including cocaine and heroin, and did multiple stints in rehab. She died June 4. An autopsy is pending on the cause of her death. “She must have slipped up,� Rainaldi said. “Addiction makes people do really bad things.� Mersing's family sought help from support groups. But, Rainaldi said, he had to do more. On Friday, from 6 to 9:30 p.m., he will host a rally, in conjunction with the national Fed Up! Coalition and International Overdose Awareness Day in the hope of ending the stigma that he said often comes with addiction and overdoses. His goal also is to educate people about the epidemic, along with celebrating those who have recovered. The rally, which will include talks by survivors and those who lost loved ones to drug addiction, will be held at Stewart Avenue Lutheran Church on Brownsville Road in Pittsburgh's Carrick neighborhood, just two blocks from where Mersing died. The night, with a candlelight vigil, will conclude with a performance by Pittsburgh-based band Jawless Fish. “I want to make people aware,� Rainaldi said. The number of overdoses nationwide are on the rise, many from opioids. A report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July showed that the heroin-related overdose death rate increased 286 percent from 2002 to 2013. Drug overdoses now kill more Americans than vehicle crashes, according to the CDC. On Oct. 3, the Fed Up! Coalition will hold its third annual rally in Washington to seek a change in legislation and administrative approaches for handling the overdose problem, said Chelsea Laliberte of Chicago, chairwoman of the International Overdose Awareness Day Planning Committee for the coalition. International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31. This is the first year Fed Up! rallies are being held across the country and into Canada, with 45 already planned, Laliberte said. Two are planned for the Pittsburgh area, with the other to be held in Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh on Monday at a time to be determined. The coalition is seeking a tightening by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on distribution of medicine, as well as seeking publicly funded treatment for those with addiction. “No matter who you are or where you came from, it doesn't matter what your job is, you're not immune to dying from an overdose. It could be your kid,� Laliberte said. A representative from Butler-based Reality Tour and nonprofit Candle Inc. will be at Friday's rally to talk about educational opportunities for parents and youths to learn about the dangers of substance abuse together, said Olivia Testa, media specialist and program coordinator. “This type of rally needs to happen. People need to know what's going on,� Testa said. “It truly is an epidemic. It's time we start getting the attention of our government and people in the community.� Carmen Capozzi started “Sage's Army� 10 days after his son, Sage, 20, died of a heroin overdose in 2012. He and his wife feared talking to friends or family about their problems for three years as they watched their son struggle with addiction and sought to get him help. “The silence is what killed my son,� he said. “After he died, I couldn't shut up.� Capozzi is on a state advisory council for drug and alcohol abuse and helps local leaders deal with drug overdoses in their towns. He tells them to discuss the problem. “Sometimes it's just my job to speak up,� he said. “Drugs don't discriminate. People do.� Capozzi, who will share his story on Friday, recently opened a headquarters for Sage's Army in Irwin on Main Street. “We have to break the stigma and get people treatment on demand,� he said. Those facing addiction need to know they're loved so they can get help, Rainaldi said. “Every single day, I think about Amber…. She taught me how to love unconditionally,� he said. Details If you go Join the community on Friday from 6 to 9:30 p.m. for a rally in connection with the Fed Up! Coalition and International Overdose Awareness Day at Stewart Avenue Lutheran Church, 2810 Brownsville Road in Carrick. The event is geared to end the stigma of addiction and overdose; educate people on the epidemic; and celebrate recovery. For more information, check out bwaction.com/fedup Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.