‘Beacon of light': Florida teen pageant queen who gave teddy bears to neglected kids dies in crash

Yahoo

19-02-2025

The Florida pageant community is mourning after one of its teen delegates was killed Monday in a crash.
Kadance Fredericksen, 18, hit a semi-tractor-trailer head-on while traveling east on Highway 4 at Hurricane Lake Road in Santa Rosa County according to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.
Authorities said the other driver was a 56-year-old man from Milton who suffered minor injuries.
She was the current title holder of Miss Okaloosa County Teen USA. Miss Florida USA paid tribute to Fredericksen on Instagram, saying in part:
'Our pageant community has lost a beautiful soul - one who was a true light in this world. She was ambitious, driven, kind, and a leader among her pageant sisters.'
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Fredericksen was a senior at Baker School in Okaloosa County. The school posted about her charity work with Kada's Promise, the organization she founded, saying in part:
'Kadance was a beacon of light in our community, known for her compassion, tireless advocacy for children in need, and unwavering dedication to making a difference. Through her efforts with Kada's Promise, she brought hope and comfort to thousands of children experiencing trauma, collecting and distributing over 12,000 teddy bears and blankets to children in need. Her work inspired us all, and her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched.'
It is with profound sadness that we mourn the tragic loss of Kadance Fredericksen, an exceptional young woman, senior at...
Posted by Baker School on Tuesday, February 18, 2025
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On the Kada's Promise website, Fredericksen said her inspiration to begin the organization was borne from her childhood trauma and how a teddy bear she was gifted with would bring her comfort:
'Kada's Promise is probably my greatest accomplishment to date. It is my life's story,' she wrote. 'Yes, it is painful to think back to those dark days in my life, but all of that disappears when I meet a scared and lonely little girl in a shelter and get to hand her a stuffed animal, probably the first she's ever owned. Her eyes fill with sparkle, her smile stretches wider and wider. I am so blessed that my pain was temporary and now I get to use my story to temporarily take someone else's pain away.'
Baker School will be holding a vigil on Wednesday night to honor Fredericksen's memory. People who attend have been encouraged to bring teddy bears to be donated to Kada's Promise.
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