_{originally posted by Sissi Garland 01/25/2011 at 3:00 pm}

Family and friends of late FIU student Anthony “Tony” Perez gathered on Friday, Jan. 21 to celebrate his life at a ceremony where part of Bird Road was named after him.

During the 2010 Legislative Session, State Sen. Anitere Flores sponsored and passed legislation to designate Bird Road from Southwest 102nd Avenue to Southwest 117th Avenue as “Anthony J. Perez Street.”

FIU President Emeritus Modesto A. Maidique, Jeffrey Perez (brother), Vilma Perez (mother), Jennifer Perez (sister), State Senator Anitere Flores, Miami-Dade Commissioner Javier Souto, Diego Perez (father).

On November 14, 2004, Perez, 25, died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, along with fellow FIU student Janelle Bertot, 19. At the time, Perez was president of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity at FIU and was studying liberal arts in hopes of one day becoming a teacher.

Joining Flores at the podium during Friday’s ceremony were FIU President Emeritus Modesto A. Maidique; Vilma Perez, Perez’s mother; Phillip Lloyd Hamilton, a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and a friend of Perez’s; and Capt. Eric Baum of Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue. Also present were Miami-Dade County Commissioner Javier Souto, representatives from the offices of State Rep. Richard Steinberg and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Joe Martinez, members of Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue, FIU administrators and alumni, members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, other friends and family members of Perez.

To honor him, Perez’s family established Anthony’s Light Foundation, an educational, non-profit organization to help raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

We would like to thank the FIU News for this material. Visit FIU News at news.fiu.edu for this complete article and other articles about the FIU and Florida community.