NATIONAL NEWS

Young man who was accidentally invited to ‘grandma’s’ Thanksgiving as a teen celebrates 6th year of dinner together

Nov 26, 2021, 10:01 AM | Updated: 10:55 am

(CNN) — After an accidental Thanksgiving invite in 2016 introduced Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench, they celebrated yet again.

Thursday marked the sixth year the pair celebrated the holiday together. Hinton shared a photo on Twitter, writing “Thanksgiving 2021.”

The two first met in 2016 when Dench, from Mesa, Az., sent a text inviting Hinton over for dinner. It was meant for her grandson, who had changed his phone number. Instead, Hinton, who was 17 at the time, got the message while sitting in class at Desert Vista High School.

The two figured out the mistake, then sent selfies to each other, with Hinton asking if he could still come over. Dench texted, “Of course you can. That’s what grandmas do … feed everyone.”

Hinton had told his social media followers last week that the two would be celebrating the day together again.

“We are all set for year 6!” he wrote, alongside a picture of a text message from Dench inviting him, his girlfriend Mikaela and his family over. He also included a photo of himself, Dench, Mikaela and Dench’s late husband Lonnie, who died in April 2020 after a battle with COVID-19.

Hinton has documented the holiday each year on his social media. In 2019, he shared a snap, writing, “Blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives.”

After Dench’s husband died, they still spent the holiday together.

“This Thanksgiving, along with all the holidays coming up, aren’t going to be the same as past ones but we will make the best of it,” Hinton wrote in a post last year. “Rest In Peace to Lonnie and everyone else we lost this year we will miss you greatly. Thank you for being in our lives.”

In an interview earlier this week with azfamily.com, Dench and Hinton reflected on their friendship.

“I would have missed out on a wonderful relationship,” Dench said, when asked what would have happened if she hadn’t invited Hinton over years ago. “I’ve changed my view so much on the younger generation, and now that I’ve reflected back on all these years, I didn’t change their life; they changed mine.”


The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

National News

Children and a woman depart the reunification center at the Woodmont Baptist church after a school ...
Jonathan Mattise, Travis Loller and Holly Meyer

Nashville shooter who killed 6 drew maps, surveilled school

Police say a former student shot through the doors of a Christian elementary school and killed three children and three adults after elaborately planning the massacre by drawing out a detailed map and conducting surveillance of the building.
10 hours ago
Almost two months after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the town of East Palestine...
Brenda Goodman

Government to step up efforts to monitor health of East Palestine residents, first responders

Almost two months after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the town of East Palestine, Ohio, the state Department of Health is preparing to offer blood and urine testing and physical exams to first responders who rushed to fight the blaze.
1 day ago
A group prays with a child outside the reunification center at the Woodmont Baptist church after a ...
Associated Press

Nashville school shooter had drawn maps, done surveillance

The suspect, who was killed by police, is believed to be a former student at The Covenant School in Nashville, where the shooting took place.
1 day ago
Local officials say they are standing with the six people killed Monday in a shooting at the Covena...
Eric Levenson and Jennifer Henderson

Victims of Nashville school shooting identified

An armed person fatally shot three 9-year-old students and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville.
1 day ago
Adele performs on stage as American Express present BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park on July 02, 2022 in ...
Associated Press

Adele extends Las Vegas residency, plans concert film

Adele has announced that she’s extending her Las Vegas residency with 34 more dates between June and November and also plans to release a concert film.
1 day ago
Ron DeSantis...
Bridger Beal-Cvetko, KSL.com

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to headline Utah GOP convention

Utah Republican delegates will hear from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the party's organizing convention next month.
1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...
PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.
Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
Young man who was accidentally invited to ‘grandma’s’ Thanksgiving as a teen celebrates 6th year of dinner together