By Olivia Winslow (source)

They call themselves, informally, "Warrior Angel Moms," a group of 10 or so Long Island mothers who've lost children to drug overdose.

The moms, along with drug treatment experts, advocates and other supporters, are headed to Washington, D.C., for the Trail of Truth event, where loved ones will be memorialized Saturday on the National Mall with an art installation featuring handcrafted tombstones representing the loss felt by so many families.

"There'll be 3,000 tombstones from around the country representing people we've lost," said Carole Trottere, of Old Field. According to the Trail of Truth website, more than 3,500 tombstones, painted by artists, activists and community members, will be on display in the "National Memorial Cemetery." There also is a full day of programming planned that includes speakers, performances and "healing opportunities."

"This is a shocking and visual way to show the amount of loss that this country has experienced. That's a fraction of the loss," said Trottere, whose son, Alex Sutton, died of fentanyl poisoning in 2018 at age 30.

Trottere is active with organizations that help people with substance-use issues and their families, such as the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the affiliated Gabriel's Giving Tree, which raises money to help local families in need who have lost loved ones to substance use disorders. She also has her own Purple Rock Project, where people can write the name of a loved one lost to drugs on purple-painted rocks as a memorial tribute.