Page 26 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2023

PEOPLE
story and photos courtesy of
Mental Health Association of South Mississippi
Don’t Worry Be Happy will take place on July 21, beginning with
a VIP Hour for top sponsors at 6 p.m. Blue Earth Productions brings together band members from the New Orleans area
to rock the Biloxi Civic Center. They always get people up dancing and set the mood for the tropical themed vibes.
Local restaurants
will present food
tastings of their
favorite dishes and
mixologists from
across the Coast
will compete for the award of best concoction, including non-alcohol variations. There will be fun games and a silent auction. It’s always a fun time!
Each year the Annette O’Keefe Humanitarian Award is given to a deserving person from South Mississippi. The 2023 recipient is Biloxi native
School System teacher and principal, was the Executive Director of the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce, and so much more. She never meets a stranger. When she first meets you,
she wants to know about you and your family to connect with you on a personal level.
Community Honorees (pictured right, from left to right) are Tenesha Danielle Batiste, Natalie Bonner, Denois and Dr. Racheal Butler, Dan and Carrie Duncan Cuevas, Keith Davis, Susie Davis, Hope Dossett,
Geneva Dummer, Joan Hampton, Representative Jeffrey Hulum III, and Angela Singletary. Each has a passion for mental health and wellness.
The Honorees will be helping
to raise funds for Mental Health Association of South Mississippi’s programs by presenting auction items for bid. The online silent auction
Susan Hunt. Hunt has a deep history of helping people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She leads Biloxi’s Excel By Five program, is a retired Biloxi
228.864.6274 www.msmentalhealth.org
Event website: www.us.givergy.com/DontWorryBeHappy
will open a week prior to the big night and close
at 9 p.m. on July 21. Please help raise critical funds by participating in the auction
or by making a donation.
26 | July 2023
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Susan Hunt.