The Pittsburgh Penguins had a victorious night and so did two crowd members who found out during the game they won a $30,000 wedding at Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key.
Indiana, Pa., residents Nadine Brown and Joshua Stumpf were surprised on the kiss cam during the game and said they were shocked to find out they won the Stars and Stripes Dream Destination Getaway, a contest put on by Hawks Cay and Brides Across America, which gifts wedding dresses to military brides. Florida’s tourism and marketing corporation, Visit Florida, is covering the couple’s air fare and three-day car rental.
Brown and Stumpf were among 200 military couples who submitted into the inaugural contest essays and videos about why they should win the wedding. Five finalist couples were narrowed down in December.
“We hadn’t heard anything and just figured we didn’t win,” Brown told the Keynoter.Nadine Brown and Joshua Stumpf were selected as the winning couple of the Stars & Stripes Dream Wedding Getaway from Hawks Cay Resort. This is the video they recorded with their newborn son to enter the contest.
She and Stumpf are active U.S. Army reservists and served in Iraq together. They have a 16-month-old son, Leo.
“It’s really a dream come true — that’s all we kept saying. We went to Hawks Cay right after we were engaged a few years ago and it’s so beautiful, just breathtaking,” Brown said.
Brown is a nursing student and Stumpf works in construction. Their wedding and reception, for which a date has not been set, will be covered for up to 50 guests at Hawks Cay, although the guest stays will not be paid for. Brown’s dress, jewelry and shoes will be provided by Brides Across America.
Hawks Cay Managing Director Sheldon Suga said the resort has hosted Hero Salute, a program to celebrate military veterans and first responders, for eight years. “This wedding giveaway was sort of an extension of that,” he said.
It was Brown’s mom, Grace Brown, who suggested the couple enter the contest. She also helped coordinate the couple’s tickets to Tuesday night’s game in which the Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0. The NHL is not involved in the contest.
“We reached out to the team to help us surprise the couple with the news and the Valentine’s Day game was perfect timing,” said Holly Zawyer, vice president of Cheryl Andrews Marketing and Communications, public relations agency for Hawks Cay.
Brown and Stumpf will stay two nights in a suite at the resort.
Katie Atkins: 305-440-3219
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