Two friends who met thanks to an accidental text message plan to have additional guests at their Thanksgiving table this year in Prescott, Arizona, People reported November 1.
Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton’s friendship has warmed hearts all over the world since 2016 when she texted the then 17 year old’s number, thinking it was her grandson’s, about the family’s Thanksgiving plans.
Hinton initially made a joke out of it and asked if he could come eat with them. Dench did not skip a beat and said she would be glad to have him.
An image shows the pair enjoying some time together while smiling and laughing:
An accidental text message has led to a Thanksgiving tradition that is now continuing into its eighth year. Jamal Hinton confirmed on X that he will spend this Thanksgiving with Wanda Dench, who in 2016 thought she was texting her grandson to invite him to Thanksgiving… pic.twitter.com/RdbHQp152e
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) October 23, 2023
This year will be their eighth year celebrating Thanksgiving together. But according to People, the pair wanted to invite a few extras to the table.
The young man and the grandmother joined with Airbnb to have two guests book a room at Dench’s home for Monday, November 20. The price was set at $16 to remember the year Dench and Hinton met.
Hinton announced the partnership in a social media post featuring a picture of himself and his adopted grandmother:
“I think it is perfect. I mean, me personally, I love meeting new people and building new friendships,” Hinton told People.
Throughout the year, the two friends spend lots of time together on outings, watching the Super Bowl, or even participating in a game show.
Dench said she simply adores her friend and recalled messages from people online who thanked the pair for restoring their faith in humanity.
“I had no idea that we had made such an impact on people and young people especially,” she explained.
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