MIWLAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Vin Baker Recovery Center in Milwaukee installed two overdose aid kits at its facility on Thursday, Aug. 15, as part of ongoing efforts to combat opioid overdoses.
The kits, containing NARCAN and instructions for use, were donated in memory of Travis Busse, a Dane County man who died from an overdose in 2017.
Former Bucks star and current assistant coach Vin Baker, who the center is named after, was in attendance alongside Busse's family. The installation follows the arrival of a harm reduction vending machine at the center on Monday, Aug. 12.
The machine offers fentanyl test strips, medication deactivation pouches and gun locks, with officials discussing other methods of innovating in the future to preventing harm to the public.
Baker emphasized community involvement, referring to his own public battle with sobriety that started when he was an NBA player.
"One thing about going through sobriety and getting sober is that you have to be intentional about getting sober on so many levels. This shows that the community, the leadership in our community, are intentional about getting people healthy and sober," Baker said.
He added that the project is even more exciting than some might expect, saying, "I’m more pumped about this than I am the Bucks winning a championship. That's a close second, though."