09/04/2026
๐ ๐ง๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ
On September 1, Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835 was proud to present ๐ฎ $๐ญ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐, ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐, ๐๐ป๐ฐ. (๐ง๐ฅ๐) โ and during our visit, we learned that ours is the first grant this young organization has ever received.
TRI was born from an intensely personal story.
Following the loss of her son, Tridarius โSmileyโ Gray, to su***de, Michelle began looking back and recognizing signs of his struggles that she had not understood at the time. She made the decision to learn from that experience, pursue training and certification, and use what she learned to help others recognize when someone may be struggling.
Today, Michelle is taking that mission into our community through education, outreach and support. She has already presented a workshop for law enforcement and is preparing to present a second, while TRI continues working with individuals and families affected by trauma, grief and mental health challenges.
Representing Buona Fortuna for the September 1 presentation were President Ginny Barberi, Emissario Andy Fricano and Vice President Diana Mancini.
๐ธ And then we needed someone to take the picture!
With no photographer in sight, Diana walked up to a complete stranger and asked if she would mind taking our group photo.
That is how we met Katie.
Katie graciously agreed โ and what started as a simple request to take a picture turned into something more. She stayed, listened to Michelle share Smileyโs story and offered her own compassion and support.
Sometimes you meet good people simply by asking, โWould you mind taking our picture?โ ๐
Buona Fortunaโs $1,000 Charitable Grant, funded by the Lodge through our Charity Committee, will help TRI continue its support, educational and community outreach efforts. We are especially pleased to know that Buona Fortunaโs grant is the first grant TRI has received as Michelle continues building this young Pensacola organization.
And there is another important connection to this story.
The charitable dollars Buona Fortuna is able to invest in organizations like TRI are made possible in large part through the success of Festa Italiana and the members, volunteers, sponsors and community who support it.
๐ญ๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐๐ป๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ
๐
๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต & ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ
โฐ ๐ญ๐ญ ๐๐ โ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐
๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ โข ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ
We celebrate Italian heritage. We strengthen our community. Festa Italiana makes it possible. โค๏ธ
***dePrevention
