A few years back, John Whitbread and his fiancée were planning their dream wedding, which was set to take place on Valentine's Day. But just six weeks before the big day, she backed out.
John suddenly find himself a jilted groom and single man. He was also left with a nonrefundable romantic two-week trip for two to the Dominican Republic.
Instead of canceling the trip altogether, John decided to try to make the best out of a bad situation. He didn't want that extra vacation to go to waste.
First, he posted a video to YouTube explaining his situation, and his story quickly went viral. News outlets were very interested in the fate of his extra ticket.
After attempting to sell the ticket to no avail, John took a huge risk and decided to auction off the $2,500 ticket — to a total stranger — and raise the money for charity.
With the help of his best friend, he set up an eBay auction to find a female travel companion, no strings attached. When the auction winner couldn't pay, he held a charity raffle instead.
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"I'm just looking for a new friend who fancies a holiday with someone fun," he said.
A complete stranger won the raffle and agreed to take his ex's place in the Caribbean.
In February 2015, John nervously waited for his mystery date to arrive at the airport, where they would meet for the very first time and promptly get on a plane together for the luxury vacation … but he was a nervous wreck. Would this woman even show up? She did, and the BBC reports they had a fabulous time.
