My favorite Thanksgiving story gets another, much appreciated update.
It’s a viral story that’s now 10 years in the making, and believe it or not, one we blogged about the first year it happened.
An Arizona man by the name of Jamal Hinton and a Grandma by the name of Wanda Dench accidentally crossed paths during a Thanksgiving mixup. Dench sent a text to her grandkids inviting them to Thanksgiving dinner, but one of her grandsons had recently changed his number, so her invitation went to a then-17-year old named Jamal Hinton instead.
After they sorted out the mixup, Hinton had a question for Wanda:
“Can I still get a plate tho?”
Dench stood by her invitation, telling Hinton:
“That’s what grandma’s do… feed everyone.”
Now you remember, right?
Well every year, when Thanksgiving rolls around, fans of their story anxiously await an update to see if Hinton and Dench come together for a holiday meal. They’ve continued to get together every Thanksgiving, and only missed out on their tradition in 2024, when Dench was battling cancer.
It was early last year when Dench revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would be undergoing chemotherapy. So when Thanksgiving came up on the calendar, she decided to stay home and rest up, and it was the first time her and Hinton hadn’t shared a meal on Turkey Day since the accidental (and viral) text was sent to Hinton:
The good news? Wanda Dench is feeling better in 2025, and Thanksgiving is BACK ON.
Even better news? It appears that canned vegetable company Green Giant has stepped in to make this Thanksgiving that much more special for Dench and Hinton. The Arizona man took to his social media account to share that he and Wanda were thankful for the food brand joining in on the fun, and ask that fans of their comical tradition follow along for more:
“Wanda and I are excited to partner with Green Giant for our 10th Thanksgiving. Make sure to follow along!”
Good for them for getting the bag they so very much deserve.
I’m all in on Jamal and Wanda’s 10-year Thanksgiving bash, and I’m thrilled that a company like Green Giant has stepped in to help them out… and realizes how popular this pairing is around the holiday season.
Social media users are happy for Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench, but many can hardly believe that a decade has already gone by since their viral encounter captivated the world:
It’s been 10 YEARS?! pic.twitter.com/hOXY3yJdUM
— Thuuuuney (@thuuuuney) November 5, 2025
😭😭😭 I love that yall are gettin that bag!! This is one of my favorite Internet things of all time.
— krista (@akristawithak) November 5, 2025
it’s been 10 whole years?? pic.twitter.com/C61mbgEyv2
— ً (@tylerduran21) November 5, 2025
There is still hope for humanity 🫶🏾 glad yall have kept this going! Blessing to you both
— You can call me B (@FakeCares) November 5, 2025
I can’t believe it’s been ten years. Wow. I love y’all!!!🥹🥹🩷🩷 pic.twitter.com/HvOf5utvRr
— IA (@MsIngridA) November 5, 2025
