- May 23, 2025
Gianna Capri, a fifth grader at St. Brendan's Catholic School in Ormond Beach, collected a total of 18 new teddy bears on behalf of Kada's Promise, and donated them to Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in DeLand on April 16.
Kada's Promise is a program that delivers the stuffed animals and blankets to foster care children, hospitals, homeless and women's shelters throughout the country. The program was founded by Kadance Fredericksen, an 18-year-old high school senior who died in a car crash on Feb. 17 in Baker. Fredericksen was the Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA titleholder, and daughter of the Miss North Florida pageant director Lisa Fredericksen.
Gianna met Fredericksen through her time in pageantry with the Miss North Florida Organization and decided to collect bear in her memory.
Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health is a nonprofit that helps with child welfare, serving families with mental health, intellectual and development disabilities needs.
