Sam Spady was 19 when she died of acute alcohol poisoning.

After hours of binge drinking, the Colorado State University student was left alone in an empty room in a fraternity house to sleep, according to newspaper reports. A fraternity member later found her unconscious while giving a tour of the house.

Her sad story is why the Roanoke County Prevention Council is bringing her mother, Patty Spady, to Hollins University on Sunday.

"It's a very compelling, powerful story," said Nancy Hans, council coordinator. "And if it helps one young adult or one young person to make a better decision, then we've done what we've needed to do."

Hans said Spady's presentation can help encourage communication between parents and their high school and college-age children about alcohol abuse.

That's important because local and national surveys show that binge drinking is occurring before students get to college.

The prevention council surveys students every two years about risk behaviors. While binge drinking among high school students continues to be an issue, the council has seen a decrease in the percentage of Roanoke County students who report they have engaged in binge drinking, Hans said.

Last year, 24 percent of about 4,500 ninth- through 12th-graders surveyed in Roanoke County reported binge drinking, Hans said.

In 2006, it was 25.4 percent, and in 2004, it was 26.2 percent. The number of students responding to those surveys was a little less than 4,500, she said.

Hans said she can't attribute one single factor for the decrease but she does believe that alcohol education from the council and in the community has helped.

But there is more work to do.

"Risk behavior and awareness of different kinds of risk behaviors is an ongoing process," she said.

The prevention council, which aims to educate youth about drug and alcohol risks, partnered with Carilion Clinic and Hollins University to bring Spady to town.

Sam Spady, who was a homecoming queen and honor student in high school, died Sept. 5, 2004. The Spady family later established a foundation in their daughter's name to educate parents and young people about the dangers of alcohol and the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

Patty Spady's appearance will also include the presentation of the 30-minute film "Death by Alcohol: The Sam Spady Story."

The prevention council owns a copy of the DVD, and it's available for groups that want to borrow it, Hans said.