LAS VEGAS -- Three years ago, 24-year-old local BMX star Adam Stokes died of an overdose. Now, his younger brother and friends are using the tragedy to help others.
Skateboards and a collage of pictures are some of the many reminders Josh Stokes has of his brother Adam.
"Nothing stopped him," Josh Stokes said. "We came from not very much and he ended his life definitely on top of the totem pole. He was a motivator and very inspirational person."
The Stokes family wants to build a community center that will help others who are experiencing problems and may turn to drugs. The center would be called School of Thought.
"I think we need to do something positive especially when Las Vegas is full of people who need help," Stokes said.
Stokes and his friends have created a website Shine or Die.
"Inspire or expire. Shine everyday or I might as well die. If I don't wake up and shine my inner light upon everyone else, I am wasting my day," Stokes said.
The website promotes community events, like a recent blanket drive for the homeless.
Cash Colligan is helping Stokes with an upcoming musical event at the House of Blues. Money raised will go towards building the community center.
"The center, it's not just that I believe in it, but I know so many people who believe in it. When people talk to us and we explain our causes and purpose, they get it," Colligan said.
It's a message he hopes others will understand through music and compassion. Tickets are on sale for $12 to the Nov. 29 event at Mandalay Bay. Shine or Die has already raised $12,000 in three weeks, but need close to $50,000 more to open the center.
