Their Thanksgiving Dinner Went Viral In 2016. Now You Can Join Them

When a then-17-year-old Jamal Hinton received a matter mistakenly inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner astatine Wanda Dench's Phoenix location backmost successful 2016, he jokingly texted back, "Can I still get a sheet tho?" "Of people you can," Dench replied. "That's what grandmas do … provender everyone."

Now, 7 years aft nan heartwarming relationship that went viral, nan duo is partnering pinch Airbnb to person 2 guests subordinate their yearly feast. From November 14, guests tin book a one-night stay—the evening of November 20—at Dench's Prescott, Arizona, home. The $16 value tag is simply a motion to 2016, erstwhile Wanda and Jamal shared their first Thanksgiving meal.

Airbnb will besides make a one-time aid to Feeding America, nan largest hunger alleviation statement successful nan United States, which helps provender and support 32 cardinal Americans who spell quiet each year.

For Dench, 66, opening her location to guests for nan vacation play was a "no-brainer."

"I grew up successful a subject family, and truthful we moved astir a lot," she explained. "I was ever gathering caller group everyplace I've lived, and it's nary different. I conscionable precocious moved to Prescott Valley, and nan friendliest group unrecorded up here. It's astonishing gathering caller people. And it's truthful breathtaking because it's fresh."

Hinton admits that since their first encounter, he has group his sights connected having a ample gathering, "inviting immoderate and everyone." He's hoping nan Airbnb business yet leads to his eventual goal.

"I conjecture these are immoderate awesome slow steps earlier we person a immense 250-person Thanksgiving for illustration I wanted," nan 24-year-old joked.

This year's guests tin expect a dispersed featuring immoderate Thanksgiving classics, including turkey, greenish beans, deviled eggs, biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and, of course, nan pair's favorites. Self-professed picky eater Hinton is partial to mashed potatoes, and Dench ever looks guardant to a helping of pumpkin pastry topped pinch a dollop of whipped cream. And though she typically whips up nan home-cooked repast herself, Dench is making 1 concession this year.

"I person to admit Costco pumpkin pastry is amended than my own," she laughed. "So I'll beryllium getting Costco pie. But different than that, I'll beryllium making everything fresh."

Besides nan sumptuous Thanksgiving fare, Hinton and Dench said nan fortunate guests tin expect an evening of bully conversation, committee games—the Game of Life and Monopoly are beardown contenders—and awesome people.

"I deliberation they're gonna hopefully locomotion distant pinch conscionable specified joyousness and memories that they had specified a awesome time," predicted Dench. "And it was truthful awesome because it is simply a small, friendly group. We'll beryllium capable to really beryllium ourselves and get to cognize each different really well. I can't wait."

One personnel of nan family won't beryllium astir but is ever present. Wanda's husband, Lonnie, died successful 2020, but nan family continues to grant his representation during nan holidays. "That first Thanksgiving was astir apt a small difficult for me. So we had a image of him, and my girl put him astatine nan caput of nan array pinch a candle. And truthful he was pinch us. We talked astir him; we talked astir a batch of nan bully things that we remember. He's ever successful my heart. He's ever wherever I'm at. So I ever opportunity a small dream for him each Thanksgiving. He'll ever beryllium around."

In nan meantime, Dench is grateful for her friend turned family, who she describes arsenic very thoughtful, whether putting speech his fandom to thief her cheer connected her precocious husband's beloved squad during nan Super Bowl aliases gifting her a sweater successful her favourite color.

"He pays attention," said Dench. "He notices specifications astir you. And those small things are what makes maine conscionable like, 'Oh, my God, this feline is amazing.'"

Hinton is arsenic as thankful for his 'Thanksgiving grandma.'

"I learned that Wanda is very caring. She ever wants to do nan correct point and make judge that group are included successful everything. So, for me, that's been nan main logic why I emotion coming backmost each year. It's ever a awesome conversation, moreover if it's thing that she whitethorn not beryllium willing in. She takes nan clip to study caller things truthful she tin really person a speech pinch me, which feels amazing."

Their easy camaraderie and communal affection person captivated nan net for years and person moreover sparked an unofficial tradition.

"It's not officially Thanksgiving until I spot Jamal and Wanda station a selfie," declared 1 poster connected X [formerly Twitter] successful 2021.

Why nan enduring interest?

"I deliberation that group conscionable look guardant to it and conscionable emotion it truthful overmuch because it conscionable gives them thing to look guardant to that doesn't person thing to do pinch warfare aliases unit successful nan US aliases thing for illustration that," theorized Hinton. "So it's astonishing to spot group tin still conscionable travel together and go family, moreover if you're not blood."

"And it's genuine," added Dench. "There's nary faking it. We don't [put connected a] show for nan nationalist aliases anything. We're conscionable ourselves."