At Second Helpings, stories abound. Whether it’s an agency in need of food that eases the financial burden, or a volunteer who devotes hundreds of thousands of hours of time and energy, or a graduate who has turned his/her life around, there is never a shortage of stories. However, some stories are quite different from others and stand out because of their uniqueness. For this particular one, the origin of the story makes it even more special.
The characters are Emily Hunt and Michael Floyd. The scene is Tonic Ball 12, the year is 2013, and these two individuals’ lives are about to change.
Michael: I first heard of Tonic Ball in 2011 in 2012. Unfortunately it had sold out before I could get a ticket. When I heard the following year that Tom Petty, one of my favorite performers, would be covered for Tonic 12, I knew I had to get a ticket. I bought one quickly and planned to spend my whole evening at Radio Radio (the location hosting Tom Petty).
Emily: It was my first Tonic Ball too. When I heard that bands were covering Grateful Dead, I knew I wanted to go but they had already sold out. I connected with someone through Facebook and purchased my ticket from them. I usually don’t go out alone, but decided I really wanted to go. While there, I met an acquaintance and she and I were dancing at the Fountain Square Theatre when someone walked in…
M: We had been at Radio Radio for about an hour and were having a great time. For some reason, even though I’m not a Grateful Dead fan, I decided that I wanted to go next door to the Theatre. Something seemed to be moving me to that venue. One of my friends asked if I was sure (there was a 30-45 minute wait outside Radio Radio to go inside) and I responded that yes I wanted to leave. So, we left and entered into Fountain Square Theatre.
E: …He approached us, and my friend began to joke with him about wearing a Polo shirt at a Grateful Dead concert. So, a little intoxicated, he took off his Polo and took it over to the Second Helpings table, where he tried to donate it (eventually he took his polo back). We danced for most of the night, and at the end of the night he asked for my phone number and I gave it.
M: She seemed standoffish and I’m normally not that forward, so I wasn’t sure about texting her. In addition, I thought she gave me a fake phone number because it ended in what seemed to be a business phone number. My friends encouraged me to text her though, and so I figured I might as well. I asked her if I should receive a tax deduction for donating my clothes to a nonprofit. She responded that that would be considered fraud, since I took them back. I thought ‘she’s pretty and quick,’ and we continued to text throughout that weekend. We had our first date the next Saturday…
E: And the rest is history. We got married over Labor Day weekend in Florida in 2016. Our friend gave us the Tonic poster and tickets framed, and we both received t-shirts from that evening. They also performed a skit of us meeting that night at our wedding!
E & M: Every year, we go to Tonic Ball and will continue to do so since it’s the anniversary of us meeting. It’s incredible, since so many things that don’t or wouldn’t normally happen happened that evening. We’re both older so it seems that fate played a hand in us meeting.
E: In addition, the cause is amazing. I had heard of Second Helpings before, and the concept of reducing waste and feeding people is incredible. We hope that people who know about Tonic can learn about Second Helpings.
E & M: The whole spirit of the event has good vibes and is for a great cause. Because of that, we feel even luckier that we met there.
While an unusual story related to Second Helpings, the power of food and the events that help support it can change lives, even in the most unexpected, wonderful ways.