Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1489591
Franklin Diaz & V•ne Uban Franklin Diaz met Vince Urban in downtown Phoenix in 2014 aer a fateful encounter—courtesy of a new-at- the-time dating app—caused their paths to cross. Vince, who was hesitant to use "just another app," picked up Tinder for the first time and there was Franklin, the first prospect on his screen. Vince swiped right. "e rest was history," Franklin says. Skip ahead to September 2017. e couple was only 11 days from their wed- ding aboard a cruise ship off St. omas in the U.S. Virgin Islands when Hurri- cane Irma hit. Despite having planned their nuptials 18 months in advance, all arrangements came to a screeching halt. "Our wedding day was right around the corner, and we didn't know where we were getting married, but that's where the partnership comes in," Franklin recalls. "Vince was able to anchor us emotionally and ultimately make it happen." eir wedding shied to the island of Roatán—1,400 miles from St. omas off the coast of Central America. "e hur- ricanes were devastating to St. omas," Franklin says. "Although our dream wed- ding plans had to change, that's nothing compared to the damage caused by the storms." Less than three years later, Franklin and Vince moved to Seattle and joined the WAC. "e Seattle Freeze is real," Vince says. "And with the pandemic, it was more like an ice age. But the WAC has been a great foundation for us to meet others in a fun and relaxed environ- ment." e couple regularly attends Club events—from Sunset Sail to Oktoberfest to no-host socials—and quickly found friends and connections at the WAC. "ey're always up for a good time," Director of Club Events Mary Ellen Jilek says. "And they always encourage their WAC friends to attend with them." Franklin also joined the ranks of member leadership, volunteering on the 20s/30s and Engagement committees. "Half of the people we now know are fellow WAC members," Vince says. O•ga Peso-a & Dani B•‚kis Members Olga Peskova and Dani Bilkis joined the WAC in 2020. As nonresident members living in Dallas, they regularly stay at the Inn at the WAC when traveling to Seattle for Dani's job in tech and Olga's research work with the University of Washington. When they stopped in Seattle last January on their way home from holiday vacationing and learned that their condo had flooded, they knew they were going to have to stay longer than expected. For over four months, Olga and Dani called the Inn at the WAC home. e extended stay helped them discover what the Club is truly about. "We really didn't have many connections in Seattle before that," Olga says. "We got to use more of the amenities we hadn't used before, like the pool and Spa. en we started to develop tons of friendships here. We really felt like we were part of a community. We basical- ly got to experience what the WAC really has to offer, and we were amazed." Something else happened during their stay. ey got pregnant—with twins! Olga attributes her successful pregnancy to feeling pampered and relaxed during their stay. "For me, the stay gave me a break from my career," Olga says. "From the moment I entered the WAC, I felt taken care of." Olga and Dani welcomed their twins—or "babies of the WAC," as Olga affectionately calls them—this past No- vember. "e Inn at the WAC even sent us baby shower gis," she says. C O U R T E S Y P H O T O K AT I E S P I N N E R - A N S E L M O 44 WAC Magazine | wac.net