HOUSTON – It has been billed as a massive refund party, but what it really is one gigantic Christmas party for the more than 3,000 Gallery Furniture customers who took Mattress Mack up on his bet about the Houston Astros.
“I just think it’s incredible, I mean the Astros win the World Series and I get everything I spent at Gallery Furniture back, close to $4,000,” said Lanelle Hanigriff, from Friendswood.
On Sunday night, Gallery Furniture and its famous owner Jim McIngvale invited more than 3,000 Gallery Furniture customers to celebrate the Astros and collect more than $10 million in refunds that McIngvale promised to pay out if the Astros won it all.
The Astros won and now these customers are getting it all back.
In the case of Jarret Hughes and his wife Blakelee of Cypress, that means a check for more than $11,000 going into their pockets.
“Oh, I am telling you we decided to bet on the Astros winning, right in the middle of the New York Yankees series, and then the Stros lost several games straight. I was sweating bullets and then we end up winning the who thing," Hughes said. "Me and my wife were dancing around the house, jumping up and down and singing when the Astros won the World Series in Game 7. Best of all our daughter’s birthday is on Christmas Eve. What a Christmas present for all of us.”
Along with good food and desserts, several star players from the Astros decided to come to the party, including Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Evan Gattis and manager A.J. Hinch.
At one point, Gallery Furniture suffered a massive electrical blackout and the store went dark for more than two hours.
Not to worry though, no one was leaving, not with all of the money to be handed out and all of those Astros stars to meet and with whom to take selfies with.
So does Jim McIngvale regret making that expensive bet with Houston Astros fans?
“No, not one bit, we are huge Astros fans and have wanted this for so very long for the team and the people of Houston. This is great”, McIngvale said.
