Thanksgiving grandma Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton team up with Airbnb to invite guests to their eighth dinner this holiday

A grandma and nan young man she accidentally invited to her Thanksgiving meal successful 2016 are opening up their yearly vacation ceremony to a caller group of strangers pinch nan thief of Airbnb. 

Wanda Dench, 66, and Jamal Hinton, 24, from Arizona, became improbable friends aft she texted nan then-teenager 7 years agone reasoning he was her grandson, a correction that changed some of their lives for nan better. 

The viral duo has celebrated Thanksgiving together each twelvemonth since, and up of their eighth meal together, they are giving fans a chance to subordinate their festivities. 

They have collaborated pinch Airbnb to induce 2 guests to book a one-night stay astatine Dench’s location successful Prescott, Arizona, for a vacation feast pinch 'everyone's favourite dishes' connected November 20. 

Not only will they get to propulsion up a spot astatine Dench and Hinton's Thanksgiving table, but they will besides partake successful nosy vacation activities. 

Guests will person a chance to get to cognize nan pals while playing committee games, watching aged movies, and cozying up by nan occurrence pinch a cup of basking cocoa aliases cider. 

Those who are willing tin petition to book nan backstage room astatine Dench's location starting astatine 1 p.m. EST. connected November 14.  

The preservation will beryllium priced astatine conscionable $16 — a motion to 2016, nan twelvemonth Dench and Hinton spent their first Thanksgiving together.

Airbnb will besides make a one-time aid to Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief statement successful nan United States, which helps supply nutrient to 32 cardinal Americans facing hunger each year. 

Hinton celebrated nan announcement connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter, connected Wednesday.

'Exciting news, guys — our Thanksgiving twelvemonth 8 plans are pinch you! With @airbnb’s help, we’re hosting you and a friend astatine Wanda's location this year,' he wrote. 

Last month, he hinted astatine nan 'great surprise' erstwhile he confirmed that he and Dench would beryllium spending their eighth Thanksgiving together. 

Hinton included a screenshot of a matter connection he received from a alien who was trying to scope her father, a mix-up akin to nan 1 that led to him gathering Dench. 

'Thanksgiving [is] astir nan area and I americium still receiving [texts] from [a] random number!' he wrote. 'Year 8 plans are group pinch a awesome surprise!!!' 

Hinton and Dench's chance gathering happened successful 2016 erstwhile she texted him and asked him if he was coming to Thanksgiving meal astatine her house, reasoning she was reaching retired to her grandson. 

They soon realized that she had texted nan incorrect person, but Hinton, who was 17 astatine nan time, jokingly asked if he could 'still get a sheet tho?' 

'Of people you can, that's what grandmas do, provender everyone' Dench quickly replied.

When Hinton showed up for meal that year, she hugged him immediately, and it became their contented to walk each Thanksgiving together. 

Speaking to Today successful 2021, Hinton shared that he was surprised erstwhile Dench said he could subordinate her family's celebrations, but he decided to rotation pinch it.

'Yes, location was a immense magnitude of hesitation because it was each conscionable a joke,' he recalled. 'I was successful mathematics class. I was taking a test. And I was conscionable like, "Hey, why not?" 

'I’m conscionable an outgoing person. I for illustration to meet caller group and past she said, "Yes," and I was conscionable starstruck, basically.' 

Ironically, Dench isn't a instrumentality of Thanksgiving, and she admitted connected nan greeting show she really wanted to cancel their vacation plans that year. 

'I was tired of putting connected nan feast each year, truthful I asked my hubby if we could conscionable skip Thanksgiving that twelvemonth and spell disconnected and person a mini-vacation aliases something,' she said. 'But small did I cognize that’s not what nan beingness had planned for me.'

Dench and Hinton scheme regular visits year-round, and during nan pandemic, he and his girlfriend, Mikaela, near her nutrient extracurricular her door. 

It was a difficult clip for nan widow, who mislaid her beloved husband, Lonnie, to COVID-19 connected April 5, 2020, conscionable days aft he contracted nan virus. 

For her first Thanksgiving without her husband, she hosted an early meal attended by Hinton and Mikaela, arsenic good arsenic her girl and her grandson. 

In December 2021, conscionable a week aft they spent their sixth vacation together, it was announced that a movie inspired by their communicative was successful improvement astatine Netflix. 

Hinton and Dench shared an update connected their enduring relationship during a conception that aired connected nan Today show past November. 

'I told her nan cameras and nan fame, everything could extremity tomorrow, and nothing’s changing betwixt us,' he said.

'Absolutely,' Dench agreed. 'He's successful my bosom for life.'

When Hinton started a caller car coating and tinting business, he put Dench connected his advertizing billboard. 

He was besides location for her when she sewage her first tattoo, vowing that they would get 'matching tattoos next.' 

'I’ve ever told her immoderate I’m doing, she’s a portion of, nary matter what it is,' he said. 

Last year, Hinton and Dench announced they had go business partners pinch nan motorboat of their mineral h2o company, BlackMP. 

They besides precocious teamed up to compete for $250,000 arsenic contestants connected nan TBS crippled show The Cube successful May.