Family and friends of Adams formed the Wish You Were Here Foundation not long after his death in an effort to educate youth and their parents about the dangers of speeding. As part of its public-awareness campaign, the group is working to place billboards across the country attesting to the lives lost when teens drive too fast — and the urgent need for them to slow down.
Adams’ mom, Diana Adams, says the campaign speaks for itself. “You don’t have to give the advice,” she says. “You put the example of Nick out there. This is a gentle reminder that if Nick were here, he’d take back that night and slow down.”
Actor Efren Ramirez, who played the quirky Pedro in “Napoleon Dynamite,” is the live, in-person guest of the Wish You Were Here Foundation for a special viewing of the film Saturday, May 14, at 12:30 p.m. at the Byrd Theatre in Carytown.
“Few of us haven’t been touched by tragedies that didn’t have to happen,” Ramirez says. “If this charity can inspire young people to drive more carefully, then we can be confident that lives are being saved.”
Ramirez, 21, recently finished work on the film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
After the movie at the Byrd, Ramirez will talk about how the film was made, his portrayal of Pedro and what he thinks it takes to make your wildest dreams come true. The fund-raiser is his only scheduled appearance in Virginia.
Tickets are $10 and are on sale at Plan 9, Dave’s Comics and Joe’s Market. All proceeds will benefit the foundation and the launch of its national billboard campaign. For more information, go to www.wishuwerehere.org. — Brandon Walters
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