ROBIN FOUNDATION RETURNS -WASHINGTON D.C. FOLLOWING WALK FOR LIVES, CAPITOL HILL ADVOCACY + NATIONAL FENTANYL AWARENESS

South Florida nonprofit joins bereaved families from 40 states while expanding a growing university-based overdose prevention movement across Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Robin Foundation has returned from Washington, D.C., following three days of advocacy, education, remembrance and collaboration during Walk for Lives, September 24–26, joining bereaved families and advocates representing approximately 40 states with a shared mission: preventing overdose deaths and confronting the devastating impact of fentanyl on American families.
Representing The Robin Foundation were Co-Founder and CEO Chris Cavallo, Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Cristina Cavallo, and Community Coordinator Loretta Crew Nido.

The nonstop schedule included a visit to the DEA Museum and Faces of Fentanyl exhibit, Capitol Hill advocacy during Hill Day, meetings and conversations with congressional leaders, the Walk for Lives gathering at the Washington Monument and National Mall, and a national summit bringing together families, advocates and leaders committed to addressing the fentanyl and overdose crisis.
More than anything, Washington was about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children from across America who understand the unimaginable pain of losing someone they love.

The Robin Foundation was created in memory of Robin Cavallo and later transformed by the fentanyl poisoning death of Chris Cavallo’s daughter and Cristina’s twin sister, Stefanie. Those losses continue to drive the Foundation’s work.

A GROWING MOVEMENT ON FLORIDA COLLEGE CAMPUSES

One of the most encouraging developments surrounding the Washington trip was the continued expansion of The Robin Foundation’s university initiative.
The Foundation currently has student-led efforts at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in South Florida and the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Central Florida.
The impact is already tangible: Narcan distributed through the UCF student initiative helped save the life of a person experiencing an overdose.
The Foundation has also spoken with students and/or faculty associated with Florida International University (FIU), Barry University and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) who have expressed interest in bringing similar Robin Foundation initiatives to their campuses.
The goal is to develop a statewide network of sustainable, student-led overdose prevention, education and naloxone-access initiatives throughout Florida.
“Students graduate, but the mission cannot graduate with them,” said Cavallo. “We want to build sustainable organizations that continue educating students, distributing Narcan and developing the next generation of leaders in overdose prevention.”

COLLABORATION — NOT COMPETITION

The Robin Foundation recognizes and supports the important work already being done on college campuses through DEA-supported outreach initiatives, Collegiate Recovery Communities, public-health programs and other prevention and recovery services. Robin Foundation campus organizations are intended to work alongside these efforts, with a specific focus on overdose education, naloxone access and community outreach.
“There should never be competition when the objective is saving lives,” Cavallo said. “Whether it is The Robin Foundation, the DEA, a Collegiate Recovery Community, a university public-health program or another organization, our responsibility is to work together, fill the gaps and save lives.”

FROM SOUTH FLORIDA TO WASHINGTON

Beyond college campuses, The Robin Foundation works with municipalities, law enforcement, fire rescue, universities, corporations and community organizations to expand overdose education and public access to naloxone.
A centerpiece of that work is the Foundation’s Overdose Emergency Cabinet (OEC) initiative, which places publicly accessible Narcan in strategic locations, similar to the way communities make Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) available for cardiac emergencies.
The Foundation is also working with Florida leaders on policies that could expand overdose preparedness and access to naloxone in public facilities and other high-traffic locations.
The Washington experience reinforced the Foundation’s belief that although families affected by fentanyl may live in different states, their experiences create a powerful connection.
“Our stories may be different, but the result is the same — someone we love is gone,” Cavallo said. “That pain creates an undeniable bond. What we saw in Washington was something even more powerful: families turning that pain into action.”

For Chris and Cristina Cavallo, the mission remains both personal and urgent.
“The opioid and fentanyl crisis is bigger than any one organization, university, city or state,” Cristina Cavallo said. “No one organization can solve this alone. But when families, students, universities, law enforcement, government and community organizations work together, we can save lives.”
That philosophy is reflected in the words that guide The Robin Foundation:
I CAN’T. WE CAN.

ABOUT THE ROBIN FOUNDATION
The Robin Foundation is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing overdose deaths through education, naloxone distribution, community partnerships, student engagement, advocacy and the placement of Overdose Emergency Cabinets.

Chris Cavallo
The Robin Foundation
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Chris Cavallo Speaks at The WALK FOR LIVES National Event in Washington DC at the Washington Monument