The Wing Ding Queen
The Wing Ding Queen is an intimate documentary that explores the extraordinary life and tragic death of Georgia Mae Toney—a 57-year-old grandmother, beloved restaurateur, and the woman behind Sebring’s famous “wing dings.” In her rural Florida community, she was more than a cook—she was a symbol of strength and generosity, feeding not just stomachs but souls.
The Wing Ding Queen is an intimate documentary that explores the extraordinary life and tragic death of Georgia Mae Toney—a 57-year-old grandmother, beloved restaurateur, and the woman behind Sebring’s famous “wing dings.” In her rural Florida community, she was more than a cook—she was a symbol of strength and generosity, feeding not just stomachs but souls.
Her story took a devastating turn on Mother’s Day in 1982, when her estranged son-in-law ambushed her family on a back road, ending her life in an act of violence that left her loved ones shattered.
Decades later, her granddaughter sets out to uncover the truth of what led to that fateful day—and how her family’s resilience has carried Georgia Mae’s legacy forward.
This documentary dives deep into themes of trauma, generational healing, and domestic violence. The Wing Ding Queen is both a tribute to a woman whose life deserves to be celebrated—and a call to empower survivors of tragedy and abuse to find strength in their stories.
Why me? Why now?
As a journalist, writer, and comedian, I’ve spent nearly 20 years helping other people tell their stories. Now, I’m finally telling my own.I first began sharing this story in 2018 when I published Everybody Knows: The Power of Being in Position. In it, I opened up about the fear I’ve always carried—fear rooted in a family tragedy that I barely understood.
On that Mother’s Day in 1982, my grandmother was trying to protect her daughter—my aunt—who was also shot and survived. After decades of silence, she’s now agreed to tell her story publicly for the first time.This year, Georgia Mae would have turned 100 years old. And sadly, I’m watching history begin to repeat itself.
While I’ve spent the past two years preparing for this project—reconnecting with family, completing a showrunner mentorship, and returning to the community she loved—there’s still so much more to uncover.My goal is to make this a “delicious” documentary—one that serves up trauma, truth, and comfort food with the same care my grandmother gave to every plate she served.
Fundraising
While our current goal is $2,500, the true production budget for a high-quality documentary like The Wing Ding Queen is closer to $100,000–$500,000. We’re starting with a realistic base goal to get the project moving, but the more we raise, the more we can do—and the greater our potential for impact, visibility, and awards recognition.
