On November 28th, 2006, my father took his own life in front of me by a self-inflicted knife wound. I was 15. He was a passionate outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish, and trap since he was a little kid growing up in East Rutherford. In 2017, my father’s youngest brother, John Miragliotta, attended a suicide prevention walk wearing a name tag that read “Team Buffalo.” He told me about it on my birthday that year while we were sitting by his pool and said he wanted to do something meaningful in my dad’s memory. Together we decided to create an outdoor brand — Team Buffalo Outdoors — to carry my father’s passion forward and share it with the outdoor community.

When I lost my father, all the outdoor fun and the connection with his family and friends seemed to disappear. At first, I saw TBO as a way to find my way back and reconnect with those relationships. What I didn’t expect was how many incredible people we would meet and how many new memories we would create through this community — memories that would never have existed if we hadn’t started. Through this journey, I’ve learned that getting through suffering requires releasing that energy in a positive direction, through the things you’re most passionate about. Our extended family embodies that same resilience. Our cousin Peter Miragliotta and his wife Jackie endured the devastating murder-suicide of their daughter, Michelle Sabia, in a domestic violence incident in 2016. Afterward, they adopted her three children, and Peter now serves on the board of the Center of Hope and Safety, dedicating his life to education and prevention so other families don’t have to experience that kind of loss.

Appearing on the Suffering Podcast on what would have been my father’s 67th birthday is a meaningful full-circle moment. Team Buffalo Outdoors stands as a living tribute to him and to the belief that suffering, while it leaves a permanent imprint, does not have to be the end of the story. By sharing openly, building community, and honoring those we’ve lost through action, our family continues to find purpose on the other side of pain. Our story is about transformation — choosing connection, meaning, and hope where there was once only grief, and making memories one outdoor adventure at a time.

Youtube: https://YouTube.com/c/teambuffalooutdoors

Website: www.teambuffalooutdoors.com

Shop: https://team-buffalo-outdoors.square.site

Instagram: @teambuffalooutdoors

Facebook: Team Buffalo Outdoors

Center of Hope and Safety: https://www.hopeandsafetynj.org

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