Mr. Hilyer has worked continuously toward preventing wrecks, injuries, and deaths associated with those driving under the influence since his son, Brandon, tragically died in a DUI-related accident in 2008.

Mr. Hilyer began his work that same year by volunteering with MADD at Victim Impact Panels for DUI offenders in three counties. In the spring of 2009 Mr. Hilyer took on the title of Brandon’s Dad and started to contact schools asking if he could speak to the students. That year he spoke at all seven schools in Clarion County and was asked by the PSP to speak at the two Forest County schools. Thirteen billboards around Clarion County were purchased and installed at that time and many are still up today.

The Brandon’s Dad school program is a one hour PowerPoint with pictures depicting Brandon’s life as an all-American student athlete who eventually succumbed to the disease of addiction. The program contains powerful pictures of the vehicle Brandon was driving the night he died. Many students have emailed or noted on Facebook that the program has changed the attitudes of those at their schools.

Mr Hilyer has spoken at the SADD Fall Seminar at Seven Springs Resort and regularly speaks at detention centers and DUI classes in Clarion, Jefferson and Clearfield counties. At the Clarion County Fair, the Clarion Autumn Leaf Festival, and the Crawford County Fair Mr. Hilyer made appearances and brought along various simulators to help participants to understand the difficulties one encounters when functioning under the influence.

Brandon’s Dad has one important goal in life and that is to keep one more person from making the same bad choice that Brandon did, to drive while under the influence.