JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Saturday evening, families who’ve lost children, some in a tragic way, gathered for a sense of community.
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It was called Angel Parents Night and was hosted by the Tristyn Bailey Foundation.
“We’re very honored to be out here,” Forrest Bailey, father of Tristyn said.
The event was hosted at a Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs. Norfolk Tides game.
Tristyn was killed when she was 13.
Her parents put on this event to let families like theirs know, they are never alone.
“The love and support that we were given during our time of loss and learning and how to move forward, this gives us an opportunity to give back and create opportunities for people to get to know each other and have that support themselves,” Forrest said.
One person who showed up to support the foundation was Valeria Herrera.
Herrera and her mom lost her brother Kevin in 2022, days after his 24th birthday.
He was killed during the Easter holiday that year.
She said events like these mean everything, to families like hers, because it’s a reminder to always think of the good times.
“They were in your life for a certain reason and you can’t always wallow in all your feelings whenever you remember them,” Herrera said. “I always try to remember the best possible memories I have of my brother.”
Organizers said the event was a success for the foundation.
Vic Micolucci, now a Community Engagement Executive with Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office who worked for News4JAX and became acquainted with the Bailey family from reporting, was at the event.
“For a while, we weren’t sure if we were going to get enough people in here to fill the section, guess what we had to do today, call the Shrimp and expand into more sections,” Micolucci said. “So not only did we sell out with families supporters all of our partners here we had to ask for more seats so we could get more tickets. Which really just shows this is a community that cares.”
Forrest said the foundation plans to continue helping the community and families in situations like theirs in the future.
“Over the next six months to a year for the foundation, we really see a lot of opportunities to develop and expand upon our character development pillar to reinvest in the police athletic league and continue with the self-defense classes. And iGuardians programs on social media,” Forrest said.