A Co Down man and his family who have been living in the US since 2013 were given the most "amazing gift" this year after winning a competition to return home to NI for Christmas.
Stephen Graham, his wife Megan and their son Rowen live in California and have not been home with family and friends in Kilkeel for over seven years when Rowen was only a baby.
Flying Home for Christmas 'Giving the Gift of Home' is a competition run in partnership between Enjoy the Mournes and MADE in Mourne to bring a spotlight to the landmark area of Mourne and the magic it continues to create - it gives families originally from the Mourne area the opportunity to win two flights home to be reunited with their family over the festive season.
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People on Facebook and Instagram had the opportunity to put forward names of families or friends living abroad that they thought deserved a flight home to the Mournes for Christmas. The entries were selected randomly, and the Graham family were the lucky winner.
Stephen explained how the whole experience had been "crazy" and he was so excited to share his hometown with his son who was only seven months old when they last visited in 2015.
Stephen said: "We had planned on making the trip home for Christmas, but of course, things kept popping up, and before we knew it, there was no time left to plan or make it happen.
"Then I saw the competition from ETM and MIM, so I entered it and told everyone back home about it as well. That was it; the competition was the only way we'd make it home for the holidays.
"We didn't have the highest hopes because there are plenty of us Mourne natives living all over the world these days - one morning, getting a FaceTime call from an unknown UK number was a shock."
Stephen initially ignored the call before getting a text saying it was an "old friend from home" and it did not register with him what was actually happening until Samuel Chestnutt, director and owner of Enjoy the Mournes, popped up on his screen.
"My son was with me and was so excited because it meant he could finally see his cousins.
"I've been living in California since July 2013 and had only made it home once in 2015 when Rowen was seven months old. To be able to take him home now at age seven years, where he can meet family, see where I grew up and make memories of his own means so much to me.
"To explore my old stomping grounds and see it through his eyes will be fantastic. We'll be visiting all the best spots, from the mountains to the beaches, to the pubs and all the new spots that are a must-see" he explained.
Stephen added: "We will squeeze out every opportunity for family, friends and memories in our trip home. We are truly grateful for this amazing gift from Enjoy the Mournes and Made in Mournes. The best Christmas present by far!"
Enjoy the Mournes is a social enterprise business that promotes the Mournes and its neighbouring regions to an international following.
MADE in Mourne, started by Jenna Stevenson in 2017, provides facilities, knowledge, and support for entrepreneurs in the rural coastal Mourne region to launch and sustainably grow their businesses through a bustling retail space and business hub.
Samuel and Jenna were surprised at the response to the competition as they had entries from Australia, New Zealand, Israel, the Middle East, Dubai, the UK, Scotland, Canada and the US. Samuel actually knew Stephen from when he was a child which made the random selection of the Graham family even more special.
Samuel said: "When I heard Stephen was the winner, I was delighted. To give a Mourne man who lives overseas the gift of home for Christmas and who has not been home for nearly a decade was fantastic!
"When I first called Stephen, it was a delight to speak to a local person who now lives on the west coast of the USA. He was over the moon. He was like 'I can't believe it because his son hasn't met his cousins properly in 7 years'."
For more information about Enjoy The Mournes, see here. For more information about MADE in Mourne, see here.
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