FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 8, 2018
TWIZTID AND FEND TEAM UP
Black Mountain, North Carolina, December 8, 2018—FEND, Preventum Initiative’s seminal prevention campaign, gained a lot of momentum when it rolled out with the Vans Warped Tour this summer. More than 32,000 young people signed up as supporters, and 15,000 downloaded the app to learn about opioids and addiction.
Many bands also supported FEND through giveaways and prizes, meet and greet opportunities, and exclusive acoustic sets for FEND users during the summer. One band that has gone above and beyond in their enthusiasm and support of FEND is Twiztid, a hip-hop band from Detroit, Michigan. Twiztid performs a style of ‘horrorcore rap’, and while their theatrical, make-up heavy image and lyrics may center around horror themes, their desire to engage with their audience and use their influence for good is paramount.
Twiztid members Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child consider their fans to be family, and regularly challenge them to be productive members of society. This summer, they also encouraged them to download the FEND app and get informed about opioids.
Twiztid’s fan base, known as Juggalos, have been heavily impacted by the opioid crisis, so the duo have been actively promoting FEND and raising awareness about opioid misuse and addiction through PSAs and shout outs on their social media channels.
The band gave a generous donation to the Preventum Initiative in August, as well as giving FEND autographed stage-worn gear that was auctioned off to raise funds in September. Madrox used his artistic talents to create a range of Twiztid/FEND t-shirt designs, which have been selling on the FEND website for the past three months.
Twiztid may have seemed like an unlikely ally in a public health campaign, but their commitment and ‘anything we can do to help’ attitude has been unwavering.
“We know way too many people – from family, friends, fans, to business associates that have been hurt or killed by the opioid crisis,” said George Vlahakis, Twiztid’s manager. “FEND is a great outlet for us to reach those impacted and let them know that they are not alone.”
As one of the Twiztid/FEND t-shirt designs say, ‘It’s too late to start caring tomorrow’.
For more information contact:
Ash Davis
EVP of Sales and Marketing
ash@preventum.com
END RELEASE
About Preventum Initiative:
The Preventum Initiative is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in North Carolina that brings together technologists and evidence-based research to solve complex public health challenges. Its current focus is on the opioid crisis.
About FEND: FEND is more than a public health campaign. It is a movement. It takes evidence-based research and combines it with an innovative technology platform to engage youth in a whole new way. Youth can download the FEND app and on-board onto the FEND campaign where they learn valuable information about opioids and how to prevent opioid abuse. As they learn, the platform uses an AI engine and gamification to reward them for changing their knowledge and moves them towards healthful behavioral intent and action.