Portsmouth Pledges Purple, Stands Against Substance Abuse

You might have noticed the purple flowers in the park across from Portsmouth Town Hall, the purple wreaths on the police and fire stations, or a lot more residents wearing a shade of violet this week. 

The increase in all-things-purple is part of a much larger campaign called Project Purple, a campaign created to raise awareness about substance abuse. 

Project Purple is an initiative of The Herren Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation established by former NBA basketball player and Portsmouth resident, Chris Herren.

The Herren Project assists individuals and families struggling with addiction. Project Purple was launched to break the stigma of addiction, bring awareness to the dangers of substance abuse and shed light on effective treatment practices.

As part of the campaign, residents all over are encouraged to wear purple all this week. 

Chris Herren writes on Twitter, "Wear Purple 1/27-31!Stand Up 2 Substance Abuse! Supporting lives touched by Addiction.RT & tweet pics! #PurpleStrong http://thndr.it/1mO4EfU." You can also tweet pictures using the hashtag #ProjectPurple. 

Many local businesses are taking part this week. West Main Pizza will give a free soda drink to any dine-in customer wearing purple this week. 

This Friday, the Portsmouth High School boys' basketball team will also show off its purple pride before the 7 p.m. game. 

Are you a local business or organization taking part in Project Purple? Tell us in the comment section below or share your photos in a blog here!