We are so happy to be a part of Freddy and Lynnea’s sweet love story. Here are Freddy’s words:
“It all started Fall 2013 when I started talking to this girl in Sigma Alpha Iota, UF’s only music sorority which only made sense as I was a brother of Phi Mu Alpha, UF’s only music fraternity. Her name is Lynnea Rhodes.
Jump to Jan. 1, 2014: I built up the courage to ask Lynnea to be my girlfriend. On Jan. 9, we went on one of our first of many dates together at the Hippodrome to see ‘Good People,’ a favorite of mine to this day. A reoccurring prop in the show was a homemade bunny rabbit created with a flower pot, styrofoam ball, pipe cleaners, a pair of googly eyes and other crafts. We enjoyed the show so much that just nine days later on Jan. 18, I gifted my new girlfriend her own homemade bunny rabbit. We named him Franklin after a puppy we had fallen in love with at the Gainesville Humane Society.
The surprises kept coming. On Valentine’s Day that year, as we were walking through Downtown Gainesville on our way to dinner at Harry’s, I had my band of fraternity brothers surprise her at the steps of the Hippodrome with an acapella version of Fred Paris’s “In the Still of the Night.” It was the first of many serenades Lynnea’s received. From “I Just Called to Say I Love You” during our long-distance days, to watching her sing the most beautiful renditions of the National Anthem at Gator softball games + gymnastics meets, music played an enormous role in our relationship.
And so did seeing shows at the Hipp. From laughing until we cried off on the Mainstage watching Avenue Q, to having our hearts ripped out in the cinema watching Oscar Nominated Short Films, the Hippodrome was the birthplace of so many great memories. It was only fitting we create what will be one of our greatest memories at a place that already holds so many.
On July 8, 2017, I serenaded Lynnea with Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” before going on stage and getting down on one knee. With the help of my brother Fernando; her parents, Sharon and Tom; her family friend Hal; the wonderful staff at the Hipp; and, OF COURSE, my homemade friend from the past, Franklin, SHE SAID YES!”
