ST PAUL, Minn. — Rachael and Jason Fountain have always had a fun engagement story.
On July 24, 1998, the couple attended a St. Paul Saints game at the old Midway Stadium, where Rachael's father had season tickets. While Rachael fretted over her parents meeting Jason's parents for the first time, Jason secretly engineered plans to propose on the field between innings.
"I'd never seen anyone propose there. So, I thought I was being creative," Jason said. "I called them up and said, 'hey, I want to do something special.'"
Around the sixth or seventh inning, Jason faked sick, much to Rachael's dismay. After he disappeared, someone asked Rachael if she'd like to come down to the field to play a game in front of the fans during a break in the action, and she agreed. The plan was in motion. Jason hid in plain sight on the field, behind barriers and a bag, and Rachael had been led to believe she was participating in a light-hearted game called "Guess What's In the Bag."
"You could either pick what was in the bag, or get a five-pound bar of chocolate. He pops out of the little bag, and the rest is kind of history," Rachael said.
Jason was on one knee.
Rachael never saw it coming.
"No idea. Absolutely not," she said. "It was actually planned perfectly!"
Then life happened. The college sweethearts from St. Cloud State got married in 1999 and raised three kids who've grown into teenagers and young adults. Jason works as a recruiter for medical device sales and marketing positions, while Rachael teaches at Blaine High School.
For the most part, Jason and Rachael have stored away their engagement photos in the basement for the past two and a half decades.
"Life changes," Rachael said, "and you roll with it."
Until Valentine's Day 2022 — Monday night.
Jason was watching TV and Rachael was half-asleep on the couch.
Their phones started buzzing.
And buzzing.
And buzzing.
"All the sudden," Jason said, snapping his fingers, "it went crazy!"
To celebrate Valentine's Day, the St. Paul Saints official Twitter and Facebook accounts posted Jason and Rachael's old engagement photos from July 1998, hoping to reconnect with anyone who knew them.
"HELP US FIND THIS COUPLE: In a deep archive search we stumbled across this sweet proposal dating back to 1998 at Midway Stadium," the team wrote to thousands of social media followers. "Re-share to help us bring them back for the Saints 2022 Home Opener on April 12!"
Word spread like wildfire. Friends started tagging Jason and Rachael on multiple social media platforms, and they couldn't help but respond.
"That's me and @rfountain33!!" Jason wrote in a quote tweet of the Saints' post.
"Still married, no tank top, hoop earrings somewhere…best proposal - worked like a charm!" Rachael said in a reply to the team.
Soon enough, Jason and Rachael connected with the Saints to confirm their identities and accept the offer to throw out the first pitch in April. Oh, and in true Saints fashion, they'll also escort a pig and participate in other promotions.
"That'll be fun," Rachael said. "Home opener. Saints! That will be perfect."
The whole Saints social media scavenger hunt has brought back warm memories for Rachael and Jason, but it has also given them a fresh perspective on their engagement.
Until Monday night, they had never seen the photos taken by the Saints on that Friday evening in July 1998. One of them captured Jason slipping the ring on Rachael's finger, as she looks up toward the stands for her parents.
"It brings tears to my eyes, because it was amazing," Rachael said. "It was good! It was a good catch!"