MONACA, Pa. — Jim and Evelyn Piazza will speak at a special alcohol awareness event from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Penn State Beaver Auditorium. This event is free and open the public.
The Piazzas are the parents of Timothy Piazza, who died in February 2017 after a night of hazing that involved alcohol. The couple now speaks at colleges and universities all over the country to help educate teens and young adults about important life skills like being a good friend, binge drinking, social media and doing the right thing.
Their work has also yielded the Timothy Piazza Antihazing Law.
“I first heard Tim Piazza’s whole story last year. It impacted me so greatly it became my mission to make sure our students heard it,” said Jessica Judy, Penn State Beaver nurse. “My goal in bringing Evelyn and Jim Piazza to campus is simple: I want everyone to know that binge drinking can kill you and impact all the lives around you.”
Tim Piazza was a 20-year-old sophomore when he died. According to Judy, the CDC has reported that binge drinking accounts for more than 90% of the alcohol consumed by those under the legal drinking age.
“I hope to pack the Penn State Beaver Auditorium on Nov. 12 with students, faculty, staff, friends and community members. I believe we can change the statistics on binge drinking with educational events like this,” Judy said.
The Piazza’s appearance is part of a two-year program at Penn State Beaver to educate young people about the dangers of drinking and drugs. This program is funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; the content of this ad may not represent the views of the PLCB.