Arizona Strangers Brought Together By Text Message Mistake Partner With Airbnb For 8th Annual Thanksgiving Tradition

The pair are inviting two other strangers this year for Thanksgiving through an Airbnb promo

Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench went viral in 2016 after a text message sent to the wrong number led to a Thanksgiving dinner invite. Eight years later, the pair are continuing their annual tradition with some major help from Airbnb, The Associated Press reports.

“Exciting news, guys — our Thanksgiving year 8 plans are with you!” Hinton shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside a photo of the beloved pair. “With @airbnb’s help, we’re hosting you and a friend at Wanda’s home this year.”

A room in Dench’s home has been listed on the popular site, which will house one lucky person for an overnight stay following Thanksgiving dinner. Guests must pay to travel to Arizona; however, the booking charge to sign up for the fun is only $16. Yahoo News reports that Airbnb plans to make a one-time donation to Feeding America with the funds.

“Some may recognize us from our viral text mishap that led to our first Thanksgiving together back in 2016. And eight years later, we’re practically family,” the Airbnb listing reads. “To commemorate our lasting friendship, we’re excited to become Airbnb hosts and welcome new guests into our holiday tradition, creating meaningful connections in the process.”

The booking includes a seat at Dench’s table for a holiday meal alongside Hinton, a night of board games, festive movies, exchanging stories, and, of course, participation in the pair’s annual selfie.

“I said from the jump of our first Thanksgiving that I always wanted to have more people join our Thanksgiving and be able to celebrate with us and have the amount of fun that we have together,” Hinton said.

Hinton and Dench’s unusual origin story has been a cherished social media tradition for nearly a decade; there were even rumors of a potential Netflix special dedicated to their friendship in 2021. Though there has been no word on the status of that project, Hinton and Dench continue to be an annual reason to smile during the holiday season.