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Man Crowdfunds Trip To Vermont For A Stranger's Bachelor Party, Goes Viral

The tops of a couple buildings in Ludlow, with views of Okemo trails on a mountain in the distance against a gray-blue sky.
Amy Kolb Noyes
/
VPR File
A view of the Okemo's trails from a school parking lot in Ludlow. Okemo Mountain Resort is where Will Novak will attend Angelo's bachelor party this weekend (Novak has never met Angelo).

Last week, Will Novak — who lives in Phoenix, Arizona — got an email that was not meant for him, inviting him to a bachelor party here in Vermont for someone he'd never met. His reply? “Count me in!”

(Full disclosure, there was also an expletive in that reply.)

Novak said the email outlined a bachelor party at Okemo Mountain Resort for a man named Angelo. Highlights of the weekend would include 80s ski outfits, a BBQ night and matching T-shirts.  

Novak doesn't know Angelo, but he replied to say he’d be there and would bring Sudoku puzzles. He assumed he’d never hear back.

Instead, the bachelor party organizers responded saying they’d love for him to join them for the weekend.

Novak, who has a 10-month-old baby and recently remodeled his house, started a GoFundMe page to pay for his travel. Along with a flight and ski ticket, Novak plans to rent his own car. He said his expenses of $750 were fully funded within a couple hours.

Novak says any additional money will be gifted to Angelo and his bride-to-be (they're also expecting a child, according to Novak). As of midday Tuesday, the crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $3,000.

A number of businesses have reached out to Novak offering their services. A Burlington tattoo artist even offered to give him and Angelo matching tattoos.

Despite the attention the story has gotten online, Novak said Angelo actually doesn't know he's coming. Novak will be documenting his trip to Vermont this weekend on his Instagram and Twitter accounts, and at the hashtag #angelosbachelorparty.

A graduate of NYU with a Master's Degree in journalism, Mitch has more than 20 years experience in radio news. He got his start as news director at NYU's college station, and moved on to a news director (and part-time DJ position) for commercial radio station WMVY on Martha's Vineyard. But public radio was where Mitch wanted to be and he eventually moved on to Boston where he worked for six years in a number of different capacities at member station WBUR...as a Senior Producer, Editor, and fill-in co-host of the nationally distributed Here and Now. Mitch has been a guest host of the national NPR sports program "Only A Game". He's also worked as an editor and producer for international news coverage with Monitor Radio in Boston.
Bayla joined VPR in 2018 as the producer for Morning Edition. She left in 2019.
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