A couple from Chicago canceled their big wedding and decided to donate their catering deposit to feed those in need this Thanksgiving.
Emily Bugg, 33, and Billy Lewis, 34, met on the dating app Bumble in 2017. On October 1, 2020, they got married at City Hall in Chicago.
Due to the pandemic, the couple used their $5,000 nonrefundable deposit to provide 200 Thanksgiving dinners for clients of Thresholds. The nonprofit organization helps people with serious mental illnesses and substance abuse problems.
«In the grand scheme of things, canceling a big wedding isn’t the worst thing that could happen,» Emily told «Good Morning America.» «We’re happy to be married, and we’re so happy that we could help Thresholds’ clients feel the connection of a Thanksgiving meal as a result of the wedding cancellation.»
As a staff member of Thresholds, Emily asked their caterer, Big Delicious Planet, to make Thanksgiving meals that consisted of turkey, vegetables and mashed potatoes.
The original Bugg and Lewis’s venue, Salvage One, agreed to use their deposit for future activities of the Epilepsy Foundation.«Emily’s donation is an incredible example of the generosity and creativity that the pandemic has inspired in so many,» said Mark Ishaug, CEO of Thresholds. «I know that Emily’s act of kindness will inspire others to do the same and build love and connection in a difficult time, in any way we can.»
«Thresholds is so grateful for our staff, like Emily, who are so dedicated to their work serving those with mental illnesses,» he added.