The New York City Marathon took place on November 1st, with over 59,000 runners finishing the race and around 200,000 spectators cheering from the sidelines across the city’s five boroughs. Among the crowd was pop star Ariana Grande, who attended the event with her boyfriend Ricky Alvarez. Content creator Ella Schweiger, known for her project Ella’s Envelope, spotted Grande in the audience while she was handing out encouraging notes to runners.
When Schweiger approached Grande and asked her to write a message for the runners, Grande agreed enthusiastically. Despite trying to blend in with a face mask and iced coffee in hand, she participated happily. Schweiger captured the interaction in a video shared on Instagram. Grande took a pen and paper from Schweiger and wrote a note.
After finishing her message, Grande handed it back, expressing her enjoyment of the activity. Schweiger was thrilled and announced to the camera that Grande had contributed to her project, revealing the content of the note, which read, “You did it!” along with three hand-drawn hearts. Grande signed the note as “Ari + Ricky.”
In another video, Schweiger placed Grande’s note into her large envelope and approached a marathon finisher named Ellie, who was wrapped in a post-race blanket. She offered Ellie a kind note from a stranger, which Ellie found heartwarming. As she read the note aloud, she was shocked to learn it was from Ariana Grande, especially since she had been listening to Grande’s song “The Way” during her race.
Ellie discussed how the support from her friends and family helped her through the toughest parts of the marathon, mentioning that the crowd’s energy made a significant difference. The original article appeared on Upworthy. What do you think about celebrities supporting everyday events like marathons?
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Source: Upworthy, by Emily Shiffer