Staff report
When Brandon Silveria tells local students about the dangers of drinking and driving next week, he speaks from painful experience.
Silveria, now in his 30s, spent three months in a coma after drinking at a party before his high school prom, then crashing his car.
Silveria, who lives in California, now travels the country with his father, Tony, warning young people not to do what he did.
Last year, they spoke to students at South Rowan and West Rowan high schools. This week, they’ll return to Rowan and speak in Kannapolis.
On Tuesday, the Silverias will speak at East Rowan High School. North Rowan will also attend the 9:30 a.m. program.
At 1:15 p.m. that day, they will speak at West Rowan High School. South Rowan students will also attend that program.
The Silverias will speak at A.L. Brown High School at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
This program is open to parents and the public. Elected officials and other dignitaries will also speak briefly, said Terry Osborne, general manager of the Rowan/Kannapolis Alcoholic Beverage Control system.
Brandon and Tony Silveria speak on behalf of The Century Council, a national non-profit organization dedicated to fighting alcohol abuse. The organization concentrates on underage drinking and drunk driving. It is funded by America’s leading distillers.
The ABC system targets this month because April is Alcohol Awareness Month, Osborne said.
This program is designed to teach teens about the dangers of drinking alcohol.
Students who attended last year’s program were high school juniors who would later attend prom. Some were in middle school.