Cecily Chapman Reveals She Will Continue Her and Mom Beth Chapman’s Thanksgiving Tradition of Giving Leftovers to the Homeless

More than a year after her mother Dog the Bounty Hunter star Beth Chapman died following a battle with cancer, Cecily Chapman is keeping their Thanksgiving tradition alive. After celebrating the holiday on Thursday with her fiancé Matty, Cecily revealed to fans that she intends to give her Thanksgiving leftovers to the homeless, something she and her mother had done each year.

Taking to Instagram to share photos from her small celebration, Cecily said that she and her fiancé opted to forgo a larger gathering to instead “have our own little thanksgiving to our self’s.” She noted that the time was “a reminder of how hard these times have been During 2020 and how hard we’ve worked, made it this far and it’s not the end.” In the post, she expressed her gratitude for Matty, whom she credited with helping her make it “during this pandemic.” She also said that she is grateful “for everyone that’s in my life at this time. I love all of you please have a safe and happy thanksgiving, make the most of every moment.”

Cecily went on to write that she couldn’t “wait to go pass out leftovers!!!” Doing so had been a tradition for herself and her mother, who died in June 2019 following a battle with cancer. She explained that she and her mother “packed up plates every year for the homeless to give back in any way we could!” Although she is no longer able to celebrate the holidays with her mother at her side, Cecily said that she was thankful “for everything we did” and vowed to “continue” the traditions “together in spirit!”

Cecily’s promise to continue the tradition, and the somber reflection on what she has lost, prompted plenty of comments from fans. One person noted that her mother “would be so proud of you today,” with another writing that “giving to others is the greatest gift.”

Cecily is planning to keep her mother close to her heart in more ways than just the continuation of their Thanksgiving tradition. As she prepares to tie the knot to Matty, she recently revealed that she plans on wearing the dress her late mother wore when she married Duane “Dog” Chapman in 2006. She revealed the plans earlier this month, writing that she “always wanted to wear my mom’s dress for my wedding” and recalling that “the day she got married to my dad I thought she looked so beautiful – it was the most beautiful dress I could ever imagine.” Cecily said the decision to wear her mother’s wedding dress was “a way for me to feel like she is with me the whole time and be a part of the wedding.” The couple, who got engaged on Christmas 2018, are currently waiting until the coronavirus pandemic subsides to tie the knot.