https://www.youtube.com/@Theplayitforwardproject, http://wusb.fm/

The Play It Forward Project, Stony Brook, NY (2026)

04/08/2026

Play It Forward has grown from a small idea into something that continues to matter.

That work was recognized this year by NYS Assembly District 4 as part of their Women of Distinction. The ceremony was held last month, and while I couldn’t attend, I was able to receive the recognition in person.

It also means a lot to be included among such an incredible group of women.

It’s never just one person and Kurt has been a big part of carrying this forward.💜

Photos from ceremony courtesy of Assemblywoman Kassay’s office.

02/27/2026

Carry On &
Keep Playing It Forward💜
This isn’t a goodbye. It’s a pause.
After over 100 episodes of Play It Forward, I’m stepping back for a season — but not from the cause.
This show has been one of the greatest honors of my life. The stories of courage, grief, recovery, and hope changed me more than I can say.
To every guest who shared the hardest and most vulnerable parts of their lives — thank you. That kind of bravery continues to break the stigma.
💜To the angel moms and dads.�💜To the advocates who became lifelong friends.�💜To law enforcement and the DEA.�💜To Kurt.�💜To WUSB and Stony Brook University.
💜And to my family — who stood behind me and supported this work every step of the way.
I recently became a grandmother, and I want to focus on my family and my health for a little while.
But I am not leaving this cause.
We carry on.
Be well everyone… and please look out for one another. Always.💜
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02/16/2026

In case you missed Friday’s show… you can check it out now streaming on Spotify and YouTube. Link in bio. 🎧
This week on Play It Forward, Kurt and I had a heartfelt conversation with Lauren Cashatt and Sharon Valente of The Million Mile Project — an organization supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder.

Their work reminds us that recovery doesn’t end when treatment ends… that’s often when the real rebuilding begins.
💜 This episode is also shared in loving memory of Vinny, whose passion for “recovery out loud” continues to inspire families and advocates everywhere.

✨ Highlights from our conversation:
🔹 The critical “after rehab” gap 🔹 Why mentorship and life skills matter 🔹 Insight Sessions supporting families nationwide 🔹 Vinny’s Vision and honoring recovery out loud 🔹 Honest talk about relapse, stigma, and hope

Lauren and Sharon lead with compassion, lived experience, and real solutions for families navigating recovery.
Learn more about their work here: 👉 themillionmileproject.org
Thank you for supporting conversations that bring awareness, compassion, and hope to families 💜

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02/12/2026

📻✨ New Episode of Play It Forward on WUSB Stony Brook 90.1 & 107.3 FM
Friday at 1–2 PM (EST) 🌐 Stream live at wusb.fm
In this episode of Play It Forward, Kurt and I had a powerful conversation with Lauren Cashatt and Sharon Valente of The Million Mile Project — a nonprofit walking beside individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder.
Their message is simple but powerful: Recovery doesn’t end when treatment ends… that’s when real life begins.
✨ Highlights from our conversation:
💜 What happens after rehab and why that gap matters 💜 Long-term recovery support and mentorship 💜 Insight Sessions helping families feel less alone 💜 Vinny’s Vision and honoring recovery out loud ♥️ Real hope, real tools, real compassion
Lauren and Sharon are doing this work from lived experience and deep heart. It shows in everything they do.
👉 Learn more about their mission here: https://themillionmileproject.org
🎧 Stay with us through the end of the show… I’ll be sharing something personal and special.
Thank you for supporting these conversations and the families they serve 💜
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01/25/2026

🎙️ In case you missed Friday’s show — link in bio 🎙️
This was truly one of the most moving, honest, and inspiring conversations we’ve had on Play It Forward.
I’m so grateful to Dr. Laura Berman for joining us and sharing her heart, her wisdom, and her lived experience after the loss of her son Sammy (16) to fentanyl poisoning connected to social media. Her insight into grief, healing, and resilience left a deep impact on all of us.
A heartfelt thank you as well to my cohost and fellow advocate Carole Trottere, whose compassion and honesty helped guide this conversation with so much care.
This episode reminded us that grief is not something to “get over,” but something we learn to live with, grow through, and face together — with courage, community, and love.
During the show, I promised Dr. Berman I would share this important resource:
✨ Good Grief Day: Healing from Loss with Love ✨ Good Grief Day: Healing from Loss with Love is a day of healing for anyone experiencing any kind of grief. An incredible lineup of featured speakers offering various strategies and techniques for healing; as well as helping us stay connected to our loved ones on the other side. Even better is that profits from Good Grief Day will go toward supporting Grievers in healing with free events and scholarships to retreats.
👉 Find all the details and get tickets at: 🔗 DrLauraBerman.com/goodgriefday
If this conversation resonated with you — or if you’re carrying grief quietly — I hope you’ll listen, share, and know you’re not alone.
💜 Thank you, Dr. Berman 💜 Thank you, Carole 💜 Thank you to our listeners for continuing to show up for these conversations.

01/23/2026

🎙️ A VERY SPECIAL RE-AIR 🎙️ Play It Forward is re-airing one of our most meaningful conversations on grief, healing, and finding a way forward after unimaginable loss.
📻 WUSB.FM 90.1 & 107.3 FM
Our guest, Dr. Laura Berman — nationally known relationship expert, bestselling author, and former Oprah correspondent — joined me and my cohost Carole Trottere for a powerful discussion following the loss of her son Sammy (16) to fentanyl poisoning connected to social media.
This episode is an honest, compassionate conversation about grief — not avoiding it, not minimizing it, but learning how to live with it.
What we explore in this episode: 💔 Why grief isn’t something you “get over” 🐃 Be the buffalo, not the cow — facing the storm instead of running from it 🧠 Why suppressed grief shows up as anxiety, illness, and disconnection 🤍 What grieving parents actually need from others (say their child’s name) 🌿 The importance of community, nature, and embodiment in healing
During the show, I told Dr. Berman I would share this important resource — because so many of us are carrying grief right now:
✨ Good Grief Day: Healing from Loss with Love ✨ Good Grief Day: Healing from Loss with Love is a day of healing for anyone experiencing any kind of grief. An incredible lineup of featured speakers offering various strategies and techniques for healing; as well as helping us stay connected to our loved ones on the other side. Even better is that profits from Good Grief Day will go toward supporting Grievers in healing with free events and scholarships to retreats.
👉 Find all the details and get tickets at: 🔗 DrLauraBerman.com/goodgriefday
If this conversation resonates with you — or someone you love — please listen, share, and stay connected.
📻 WUSB.FM 90.1 & 107.3 FM 🎧 Play It Forward Project
💬 Drop a 🐃 if you’re choosing to face the storm — together.
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01/22/2026

🎙️ VERY SPECIAL RE-AIR 🎙️ This Friday, January 23 at 1 PM, Play It Forward is re-airing one of our most powerful conversations ever on 📻 WUSB.FM 90.1 & 107.3 FM
We’re bringing back our deeply moving interview with Dr. Laura Berman — national relationship expert, bestselling author, and former Oprah correspondent — joined by my incredible cohost Carole Trottere.
This episode is about love, grief, resilience, and turning unimaginable pain into purpose. 💔➡️💪
✨ Key highlights from the conversation: 🧠 “We are a grief-illiterate society” — and why that matters 💔 Dr. Berman shares the loss of her son Sammy (16) to fentanyl poisoning connected to social media 📱 The real dangers of online drug dealers targeting kids inside their own homes 🐃 Be the buffalo, not the cow — why facing grief head-on helps the storm pass 🌿 The 6 Pillars of Healing: body, mind, spirit, creativity, nature, and community 🤍 What grieving parents actually need from others: say their child’s name, don’t disappear 🕯️ Creating legacy after loss — grief transformed into advocacy, education, and healing spaces ⚖️ Why breaking the stigma around overdose deaths saves lives
💜 This episode is for anyone who has loved, lost, or is learning how to hold space for others.
📻 Friday, January 23 | 1 PM EST 📡 WUSB.FM 90.1 & 107.3 FM 🎧 Streaming + archived on Spotify & YouTube (Play It Forward Project)
💬 Drop a 🐃 if you’re choosing courage, connection, and healing.
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01/08/2026

🎉 Happy New Year, Play It Forward family.
As we begin 2026, I’m honored to re-air one of the most important and meaningful interviews I’ve ever produced — my conversation with the co-founders of Armour Families. 💜 This Friday, I’ll be rebroadcasting this powerful episode featuring Kamal Bherwani, Andrea Thomas, and Collin Gage — parents and advocates turning unimaginable loss into protection, innovation, and action.
In this conversation, we explore:
* 🛡️ What it truly means to “armor” families through truth and education
* 🧬 The science behind a potential fentanyl vaccine — stopping poisoning before it reaches the brain
* 📊 Why data, research, and prevention must move beyond awareness alone
* 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A direct call to parents to speak up, stay informed, and get involved
This is more than an interview — it’s a blueprint for hope and a reminder that silence is no longer an option. Parents especially, please tune in and share.
🎙 Play It Forward — LIVE on WUSB 📻 90.1 / 107.3 FM | 🕐 1–2 PM EST 🌐 Stream at wusb.fm
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12/26/2025

Re-airing today at 1 PM — in case you missed it.
Our special Play It Forward episode featuring NY DEA SAC Frank Tarentino and Father Frank Pizzarelli will be airing live today on WUSB Stony Brook.
Two men from very different worlds. One shared mission — protecting lives, supporting families, and holding onto hope.
As we close out the year, this conversation feels especially important. It speaks to community, faith, service, and the reminder that none of us are in this fight alone.
To everyone listening today — thank you for being part of this community. Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy holiday season and a hopeful New Year.
And as we head into 2026, please know this: We are not stopping. We will keep showing up. We will keep fighting for lives, for families, and for one another.
📻 Tune in live today at 1 PM 🎙️ Play It Forward on WUSB Stony Brook
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12/18/2025

Another important moment from our Frank & Frank conversation on Play It Forward.
NY DEA SAC Frank Tarentino shared something we don’t hear often enough — real progress.
📉 Overdose deaths are down 29% nationwide 📉 The percentage of lethal fentanyl pills has dropped from 70% to 29%
For the first time in the history of this crisis, the numbers are moving in the right direction — showing that education, prevention, enforcement, and community engagement are making a difference.
This is also why the work of Armour Families matters so deeply — using data, technology, and the voices of families to help get lifesaving information out where it’s needed most.
Hope isn’t passive. Hope is informed. Hope is built together.
🎧 Full episode available — link in bio Listen on YouTube and Spotify

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12/16/2025

✨ In case you missed this powerful Play It Forward episode… ✨ Here’s a short clip from a truly rare conversation — a DEA agent and a priest, sitting together, speaking honestly about hope, loss, and transformation.
🗣️ NY DEA SAC Frank Tarentino said it best: 👉 “People talk about drug dealers… but at the DEA, we’re dealers in hope. That’s what we do. We deal hope.”
And Father Frank Pizzarelli shared a story that stopped us all — about a young man named Chris, second chances, and choosing life: 🕯️ “Chris, don’t say you’re sorry. You chose to live. Now go and live.”
From tragedy to transformation. From incarceration to healing. From addiction to cancer research helping children.
This moment is exactly what Frank means by ➡️ Proximity. Purpose. Persistence.
🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode 👉 Link in bio Available now on YouTube and Spotify
💜 Please share if this resonates. Information saves lives. Hope saves lives.
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The Play It Forward Project

04/08/2026

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