MACON, Ga. — Ian McNeal wasn't looking for love when he attended a Macon Chamber of Commerce networking event last year. But he found himself talking to one woman the entire time.

"I finally got the gall to ask her out," McNeal said.

That woman was Rebekah Hollar, who works for the Chamber of Commerce. She and McNeal just celebrated one year of dating, and their relationship helped inspire something larger: an effort to help other young professionals find community and maybe even love in Macon.

Their own "meet cute" sparked the creation of "Mingle with Singles," a recurring event designed to help young professionals connect, make friends, and potentially find love while building stronger ties to the city.

McNeal says he's attended several "Mingle with Singles" as a wingman and says i

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