WILMINGTON — Rachel Anderson (Hoenig) moved to Wilmington in the summer of 2015 to start a new job as a wedding coordinator. She planned to attend local events to meet people and get involved in her new community. Co-workers were attending Lower Cape Fear Hospice’s Last Chance for White Pants Gala and invited her to go.
Rachel’s day was hectic; she changed for the event in her office. At the gala, her first order of business was a glass of champagne and some time to unwind.
Chris Hoenig noticed Rachel immediately: “Here was this pretty blonde in a white dress whose smile lit up the room. I just had to meet her.”
Chris asked Rachel to dance.
“I told him no, because I just needed some time to unwind from my day first,” said Rachel.
Chris kept asking, but received the same reply.
“What will it take for me to get you out on the dance floor?!” he finally asked.
“Two shots of tequila,” she replied.
Chris left and prompted returned with tequila. They spent the rest of the evening dancing and talking. Chris asked Rachel out for the next day for a boat trip to Masonboro Island. The rest, as they say, is history.
The couple dated for a little more than a year. Chris surprised Rachel during a trip to San Francisco and proposed on the Golden Gate Bridge. They married on April 22, 2017 at the Carolina Yacht Club in Wrightsville Beach.
Although they weren’t able to attend last year’s gala due to a friend’s wedding, they hope to be back on the gala dance floor this year.
Lower Cape Fear Hospice’s Last Chance for White Pants Gala is the end-of-summer celebration. The event is Saturday, Aug. 26, from 7 p.m – midnight at Audi Cape Fear, 255 Old Eastwood Road, Wilmington.
Sleeping Booty, will play a high-energy mix that will keep gala-goers dancing all night long. Guests will also have the chance to take home some fabulous silent and live auction items. Cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served; complimentary valet parking will be provided. And, maybe you too will find true love.
Tickets for the event are $150 and can be purchased online by visiting HospiceWhitePants.org or calling 796-8099 ext. 6.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Veronica Godwin at 796-7985 or Veronica.Godwin@lcfh.org.
Proceeds from the gala benefit Lower Cape Fear Hospice to help support patients and families in our area facing life-limiting illnesses by covering expenses and programs not covered by insurance.
Lower Cape Fear Hospice is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the highest level of care and comfort to patients with life limiting illness; support and counseling to families; and education to the community.
Submitted by Sally Shepherd
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