Christmas Day 2016, Ronnie Bobal, known by his graffiti tag “Betor,” died due to a drug overdose after a years-long battle with a substance abuse disorder. In 2017, his parents, knowing how hard it is to navigate addiction, started the nonprofit A Betor Way in his honor. Since then, the organization, which aims to assist and advocate for those affected by addiction, has become even more vital in our community, which has seen a 45 percent increase in fatal overdoses from 2019 to 2020, according to the Memphis Area Prevention Coalition. To raise funds for its ever-growing services, A Betor Way, in partnership with Music Is My Drug of Choice, is hosting its annual music festival this weekend at Growlers.
The lineup features a slew of local artists across musical genres, from RobenX to Louise Page — many of whom have donated their time. “A lot of the musicians that are playing know somebody who has overdosed, and a lot of them are in recovery themselves,” says Jennifer “Jenn Jenn” Dancy, who founded the production company Music Is My Drug of Choice and has organized the fest with David McNinch, drummer for Mama Honey. “It’s kind of grown into this thing where recovery and music have meshed.”
“Addiction affects all of us, especially now with heroin and fentanyl being so prevalent,” adds Dancy, who has had her own experience with recovery. “Four out of 10 pills bought on the street in Memphis are fentanyl-laced.”
As the demand for education and resources for those dealing with addiction increases, Dancy, who also works with A Betor Way, says that the nonprofit has “gotten so big now that we’ve gone above and beyond our funding. We have four full-time employees now and we’re paying salaries. And we’ve extended our services to not just people who have substance abuse disorder, but people who are hungry and most of them are without homes.
“We have peer support. We feed people. We do free HIV and Hep-C testing and referrals for treatment for that.” The nonprofit also began the first official Syringe Services Program in West Tennessee, where people can exchange their used needles for new ones as well as access other resources like free Narcan, learn about treatment options, enjoy a free hot meal, and get a wound or health assessment, judgment free. The group will also begin distributing fentanyl test strips in the near future and will have Narcan available at Betor Fest this weekend. “I couldn’t ask for a better organization to work for,” Dancy says.
For the full lineup and to purchase tickets to Betor Fest, visit A Betor Way’s Facebook page @abetorway. If you or someone you know is in need of the organization’s services or has questions, you can call Dancy at 901-860-8853, and if you’d like to volunteer, you can also call that number while A Betor Way’s website is under construction.
Betor Fest, Saturday-Sunday, July 2-3, Growlers, $12/advance, $15/day of show, $20/two-day pass.