- March 21, 2025
Gianna Capri, a fifth grader at St. Brendan's Catholic School in Ormond Beach, is collecting new teddy bears for Kada's Promise, a program that delivers the stuffed animals and blankets to foster care children, hospitals, homeless and women's shelters throughout the country.
Kadance Fredericksen, who founded Kada's Promise, died at 18 years old in a car crash on Feb. 17 in Baker. A senior in high school, Fredericksen was the Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA titleholder, and daughter of the Miss North Florida pageant director Lisa Fredericksen.
Gianna and met Kadance through her time in pageantry with the Miss North Florida Organization.
"I’m collecting teddy bears in memory of my friend and to deliver hugs to kids in need," Gianna said in a press release. "Sometimes all you need is a hug from your favorite bear to make the day better. Kadance always made my day better.”
Over 12,000 teddy bears have been delivered to children in need since Kadance founded Kada's Promise in 2017, a program inspired by the comfort a stuffed animal brought her as a child before she was raised by her biological father and adoptive mother. On March 6, Kadance was named Forever Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA.
Gianna is the founder of Michael's 'Ohana, a local nonprofit named after her uncle Michael Alberico. She said she hopes that Kada's Promise will continue to grow throughout Central Florida.
St. Brendan's will be collecting teddy bears until March 28.
