Hundreds march in downtown Billings to show support for the 26th annual March Against Drugs and Violence.
BILLINGS, MONTANA — On July 12, 2025, hundreds of Billings residents donned purple shirts and gathered on the Yellowstone County Courthouse Lawn for the 26th annual March Against Drugs and Violence (MADV). As one of the event’s core organizers, the Global Peace Foundation joined partners to lead a deeply impactful day of activism grounded in community healing and solidarity.
This march is more than a symbolic gesture—it embodies community-based peacebuilding, where local voices shape collective healing. The MADV was founded by State Sen. Michael Yakawich in the 1990s after a drive-by shooting in his neighborhood; over time, it became a vehicle for connecting everyday citizens in the pursuit of safe, supportive neighborhoods.
The annual march demonstrates how local leadership and stories of resilience can mobilize change—and show that peace thrives when people stand together.
At the heart of MADV is the power of personal testimony. Mina Crenshaw, now three years sober, shared her journey through addiction and incarceration. She spoke of her transformation—catalyzed in county jail and through a 12-step recovery path—and now dedicates her life to advocating for systemic reform in how society treats offenders and addicts. “People can recover and people can change,” she told the crowd.
Ilene Upshaw shares her story at the 26th annual March Against Drugs and Violence.
Ilene Upshaw, a program participant in Passages correctional facility, spoke for the first time publicly. She shared her story of breaking a decade-long cycle of violence and substance abuse, crediting support programs for her clean record: “If I can do it, they can do it.”
These voices reflect a foundational peacebuilding principle: individuals’ vulnerability has the power to break stigma and build deep community empathy.
More than 300 purple T-shirts were handed out, along with a free barbecue and prize giveaways hosted by nonprofits such as Rimrock Foundation, STEP, Alternatives, Bridgemont, and the Boys & Girls Club. These organizations provided meaningful outreach and ongoing recovery resources to attendees.
(From Left): Montana State Sen. Michael Yakawich, former Billings City Council member Jim Ronquillo, artist Tyson Middle.
Nick Enslow, emcee and program director for Boys & Girls Club, reinforced the event’s broader mission: to empower people to connect with resources and inspire nonviolence through visible solidarity. “We just want people to be aware of resources within the community that they can find for recovery as well as approaches for nonviolence.”
The march paused to mourn the loss of Kari Daily, a young woman killed in an alleged domestic violence incident on July 4. Her friend, Sharee Byrne, held Kari’s photo aloft, insisting society remember her for her light, not her death: “More than a victim… she was the best person I knew.” Such moments underscore the emotional depth and communal care woven into the event.
Families march together in Billings, Montana, against drugs and violence.
MADV exemplifies peacebuilding rooted in community action, personal testimony, and sustained local partnerships.
Together, Global Peace Foundation and local allies transformed a concern about neighborhood safety into a multi-generational movement of hope. As Yakawich puts it, what started as his event has become “our event” powered by the community—a signifier of peace anchored at the grassroots level.
This year’s event reaffirmed that peace is cultivated by lived experience and collective courage. When survivors speak, when organizations gather, and when communities march together, barriers collapse, and healing begins.
At the Global Peace Foundation, we celebrate the transformative potential in everyday people: those who choose vulnerability, advocacy, and solidarity. The Billings March reminds us that peace doesn’t happen from the top down—it grows up, one courageous story at a time.
