The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tinder couple get gift : free wedding
Hawks CEO makes good on vow to pay costs if pair ties knot.
Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin is keeping his promise to pay for — and host — the wedding of Ben McCleskey and Avery Armstrong, a couple who started dating after the NBA team’s first “Swipe Right Night” in 2015.
Ben a nd Avery were acquaintances when the Hawks hosted their first Tinder night in 2015, but they
decided to meet face to face at the dating event. They’ve been together ever since. The couple, who enjoy going to Hawks games, returned a year for the team’s second date night — dubbed “Swipe Right Night 2.0.”
Now the two are getting ready to marry — and the Hawks are footing the bill.
Last year, The AJC connected with Ben, Avery and Koonin at “Swipe Right Night 2.0” after the couple, both students at Shorter Univer
sity at the time, were selected to sit in Harry’s Love Nest, a 7½-foot-tall giant perch at the bottom of Section 108.
That’s when Koonin learned the couple were still going strong and made the generous offer: He told the couple that if they got married, the Hawks would be
happy to host the wedding. He would also take care of the costs.
“My treat,” he said.
The couple, now parents to a future Hawks fan — a baby girl named “JoJo” — reached out to Koonin via Twitter to see if the offer still stands.
Avery recently posted on
Twitter: Hey @ATLHawks remember when you said you’d pay for mine + @BMccleskeyNRP wedding? Well the 3 of us are ready-we hope the offer still stands!
Koonin responded with this message:
“Avery and Ben: We are super excited for how your relationship has grown since you met at our first Swipe Right Night, and I will absolutely make good on my promise for the Hawks to host your wedding,” Koonin said on the NBA.com site.
“We can’t wait to start making plans and meet your new little one.”
Avery said in an email she was surprised Koonin “even remembered us.”
“When he said his offer absolutely still stood, I could not believe it ... Ben and I were very surprised but also we are very thankful. This has been an absolute blessing to us even though we are beginning the process.”
Avery, now 24, graduated from Shorter University last May. Ben, 23, is finishing up school and currently manages a Jimmy John’s shop.
“Ben was a die-hard fan before; it’s hard to imagine him being an even bigger fan. I think he may want to name our next baby Atlanta, Hawk, Steve ... I can only imagine,” she said. “We will always love the Hawks.”