Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low near 55F. WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..
Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low near 55F. WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Updated: June 12, 2026 @ 6:31 pm
Middle school students and parents joined former NFL players, including former 49er Jerry Rice, in celebrating the life of Irma Perez on Saturday. The nonprofit NFL Alumni hosted the first annual "Walk for Life" to raise money and awareness to support its drug prevention programs.
The walk drew several hundred supporters as it wound its way through Belmont, ending at Ralston Middle School, where 14-year-old Perez attended until her death last year.
"Irma would be so happy to see everybody coming together like this," said her older sister Imelda Perez, her eyes filled with tears. "I know she is watching us today."
Perez died last April at a friend's house after taking Ecstasy for the first time. For Belmont parents, the alarming events of last spring have not faded from view.
"It really opened our eyes," said Margie Rubin, a mother and teacher in the community. "It was a shock to hear about this in the middle school."
Perez's large family formed a visible presence at the emotional event. Imelda and others made posters and scrapbooks commemorating the teen's short life and achievements, including her many awards.
Many participants stopped at the table holding Perez's pictures. Ralston mom Colleen Devlin marched with her middle school daughter Katy Rosenthal, both wearing T-shirts bearing Irma's picture.
"We were so glad to be able to do something to show support and to tell kids to stay away from drugs," said Devlin, as she and her daughter turned the pages of Perez's scrapbook.
"You don't know what you can do to show [the Perezes] that your heart just aches for them," she added.
Rosenthal, a sixth grader, said she thought the event gave weight to the don't-do-drugs line she gets in school.
"If somebody dies from drugs, it's pretty serious," she said.
However, the message "does get kind of repetitive" she added.
Local Drug Enforcement Agency and Belmont Police Department officials cooperated with Imelda Perez in planning the event, which included live music, food, drug prevention talks and an autograph session with more than a dozen NFL players.
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