George’s Story

George Moore IV was 28 when he died from an accidental drug overdose in 2016. He had just completed a 30-day inpatient treatment program and was ready to continue outpatient treatment. He died 3 days after leaving the inpatient facility. George’s enthusiasm and willingness to seek and continue treatment…. to make positive life changes and start his road to recovery were inspiring to his family and friends alike. His (and their) world was shattered three days later.

George was a happy and active little boy who made friends easily. He was a gifted athlete, quick to learn and good at everything he tried – football, basketball, baseball, golf. During middle school he played quarterback in football and point guard in basketball. He played on the varsity golf team all four years. Music was a passion of his: he and his friends attended concerts in multiple venues as often as possible – The Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, and String Cheese were among his favorites. He was an incredibly loyal friend, with Sam Ellingson and Colin Dembowiak being some of his very closest confidants.

George loved to travel. National Parks were a favorite vacation destination. He loved animals and outdoor adventures of all kinds.

George had a finance degree from UWM and was a loyal employee at Milwaukee Capital.

In short, George was a smart, responsible, thoughtful, funny and soulful young man whom everyone loved. What no one knew, however, was that, in his later years, he had become a master at deception and was hiding his opioid addiction. He hid his addiction from his family, his best friends, his girlfriend, and his co-workers. He hid his addiction from everyone.

Eventually, he could no longer maintain his outwardly stable lifestyle. His life was falling apart. What the initial triggers for addiction were for George are hard to now know, since he didn’t feel he could share this journey with anyone. They may have been alcohol, marijuana, opiates, or some mental health issues, most likely all of the above.

Addiction is a disease that destroys people, families, friendships, workplaces and all relationships. If the stigma around addiction was not as strong, if addiction was not viewed as a personality flaw or weakness, but as a disease, more people would seek early treatment for their addiction rather than hiding it from everyone they love and care about.

The George IV Recovery Fund

The George Moore IV Recovery Fund was created by his parents, George and Cindy Moore, with the broad goal of assisting people with addiction issues and curbing the evil of the Opioid epidemic.

Monies are raised from a variety of sources, most notably the GIV Memorial Golf Outing, held annually in southeastern Wisconsin.

The funds are used toward four principal objectives:

• Drug-related Education Programs
• Addiction Prevention Programs
• Harm Reduction Programs
• Rehabilitation Programs

In addition, the George IV Recovery Fund is very active in pursuing legislative and administrative remedies to the Opioid epidemic.

In 2022, the Fund raised approximately $135.000, all of which will be spent on pursuing these endeavors.