Charlotte Gallant family includes, left to right, mom Leah, Dad Tom, brother Clay, County Mayor Weston Wamp, sister Taylor and brother Greyson.
The Signal Mountain 4 th of July parade kicked off with the Sweet Charlotte Firecracker 1 mile point to point race with cheering neighbors. With over 152 registered walkers and
runners, this event was celebrated in memory of Sweet Charlotte Gallant.
Charlotte, a 19-year-old resident of Signal Mountain, lost her life to fentanyl poisoning a little over 2.5 years ago in Hamilton County.
The Chattanooga Track Club, various sponsors and the town of Signal Mountain joined the Gallant family and their many friends/supporters to bring more awareness to an epidemic that has already claimed far too many lives. According to the CDC over 377,000 fatal overdoses occurred between 2019 and 2023 in the United States. The CDC stated that in 2022, 224 people per day died from an overdose on average in the U.S.
In Tennessee, over 16,000 people died from an overdose between 2019 and 2023. That was nearly 315 victims per week on average in Tennessee. This was nearly 45 per day on average.
Family members said, "Thank you for joining us in celebration of our daughter, Charlotte. 'Sweet Charlotte' and I volunteered at the first Firecracker run that was held here on Signal Mountain in 2019. Charlotte photographed the event and I helped with check in.
"Our family has been enjoying the parade for over 20 years and thought this was the perfect way to celebrate her life with family and friends."
Her family urges parents to talk to their children about the dangers of drugs.
The event started on James Boulevard with a finish at the Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club.