Great Falls couple gears up for wedding with charitable acts around community

In one week, Anthony Davalos and Nikki Emerson will tie the knot at Black Eagle Park.
“We just kind of decided that we are old and we don’t need a regular wedding, we don’t need the gifts and we did not know what else we would really do with it. He is an avid runner and I am really avid in the community. We just thought it would be really great if we could actually do it for a cause, instead of making it a traditional all about us wedding. And it’s actually turned out to be a lot more fun that way,” Emerson said.
For the past few months they have been gearing up for their wedding through charitable acts.
In the spring they helped mow, pick up trash, and repaint the playground toys in the Black Eagle Park.
Also, the couple raised 325 dollars and purchased 13 bags for foster care children.
“And then we got with Sunnyside Elementary School, there third graders did an amazing job with paying it forward. They did 5,697 pay it forward. And they also draw a brunch of really nice pictures to be put in some of the assisted living homes and hospital. So we are still working on getting some of those out because there was so many of them. They did a great job,” Emerson said.
And next Sunday they'll give back through the wedding.
They plan to have a 5k fun run, a sock drive to help the Great Falls Rescue Mission, and to collect food.
The couple are asking community members to come out and enjoy their big day.
"It’s a fun run so we are handing out prizes for the tackiest dressed cause you have to have a tacky person at the wedding. And you got to have an ugly bridesmaid dress. So we will be giving out random prizes for people who are dressed up like they are not supposed to be. You are supposed to be a wedding crasher that day. There is supposed to be a guy running in a wedding dress. He is taking pledges for the Children's Receiving Home, so I don't know if you can get any tackier than a wedding dress,” Emerson said.
The wedding start at 2:30 in the afternoon next Sunday followed by the 5K Fun Run, which will be starting at 3:30 p.m.
There will be live music, food vendors, a raffle, and there will also be boxes for donations.
“The day of we will actually have boxes for the sock drive and a box for the canned foods,” Emerson said.

The couple is asking for volunteers to help with set up from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and tear down after the celebration is over.