What lengths would you go to to uphold an anniversary tradition for your missus? Probably not as far as Mike Hovak.
Since he and his wife, Angela, got married and had KFC at the reception, he's made sure that they have eaten it every year since. Sadly, their closest branch closed down. They could just go to another one though, right? Well, it's slightly more difficult than it sounds as they live in Yellowknife, Nunavut. With a population of around 20,000 - it's tiny. It's also cold as fuck, with the average temperature in January coming in at around -26 °C.
So Mike decided to undertake an 870 mile round trip to ensure that the tradition remained.
He told CBC: "So during March break, me and my son got up early one morning, drove 700 kilometres, picked up 15 buckets of KFC and drove 700 kilometres back - in one day."
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Apparently, the staff were a little weirded out when he placed his order: "When I ordered 15 buckets, they said: 'uh, it might take a little while.'
"I said: 'no problem,' so they cooked it up right away."
He used his common sense and asked if there was any chance he could get the chicken frozen, but sadly they weren't having any of it.
He continued: "They said: 'Everything's fresh here. If you want frozen chicken, go to the grocery store.'"
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After everything, 870 miles worth of petrol, 15 buckets of chicken and popcorn chicken, the total came up to about $600.
However, Mike insists it was all worth it: "Every penny. We have to keep traditions alive. Fifteen years. Why stop now?"
Credit: Facebook
But where did this tradition come from?
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Well, the chicken at the reception was actually a compromise. Initially, Mike had wanted to get married at a talent show. He was positive that they would win the competition, and the top prize was plane tickets - so the chances are they'd get a nice honeymoon out of it as well.
He said: "I figured we'd win first place.
"Me, and my wife, and the Justice of the Peace go up, and we'd get married."
Angela - who has traditional Inuit facial tattoos - wasn't so keen on the idea, so used the KFC as a buffer to keep him sweet. She said: "Mike ordered 500 pieces. Everybody that was invited was more excited about the KFC than our wedding."
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Say what you like, that's dedication. However, you do have to wonder what she got him? Chances are it would pale in comparison to his offering.
Words by Mel Ramsay
Featured image credit: Facebook
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Husband, anniversary, Facebook, KFC