Wedding gift
Awoman didn’twant her canceled $30,000 ceremony to go towaste, so she threwa dinner party for the homeless.
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana woman didn’t want her canceled $30,000 wedding to go to waste, so she threw a dinner party for the homeless.
About a dozen veterans from a local organization were among the guests who dined on bourbonglazed meatballs, roasted garlic bruschetta andwedding cake.
Sarah Cummins told the Indianapolis Star that she and her fiance called off the wedding a week ago. She declined to give a reason, but she said theywere left with a nonrefundable contract for the Ritz Charles in Carmel, a suburb north of Indianapolis, and a plated dinner for 170 guests.
“For me, it was an opportunity to let these people know they deserved to be at a place like this just as much as everyone else does,” Cummins said.
Cummins said she decided that rather than throw away the food she would bring some purpose to the event and contacted area homeless shelters.
She cheerfully greeted and welcomed her guests when they arrived Saturday.
Several local businesses and residents donated suits, dresses and other items for the guests to wear.
Charlie Allen received a donated jacket.
“I didn’t have a sport coat,” he said. “I think I look pretty nice in it.”
Like other guests, Allen said hewas grateful for the invitation.
“For a lot of us, this is a good time to showuswhat we can have,” he said. “Or to reminduswhatwe had.”
Cummins, a 25-year-old Purdue University pharmacy student, said that her ex-fiance, Logan Araujo,agreed to the donation.
Cummins said she is not sure yet what she will do with thewedding dress.
“It's too painful to think about.”