Couples take part in Turning Point Domestic Violence Services’ fundraiser, the Not So Newlywed Game, when it was held in Columbus from 2015 to 2022. The benefit is coming to Johnson County, where four couples will compete and bring in money for Turning Point on Feb. 15.
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Getting grilled with questions might not seem like a fun night out for most couples.
But participants in the upcoming Not So Newlywed Game have signed on enthusiastically. They’ll take their chances of public embarrassment and possible spousal ire, all to help victims of domestic violence.
Their efforts will all be for laughs — but their motivation is deadly serious.
Four Johnson County couples are coming together to test their marriages and raise money for Turning Point Domestic Violence Services during the Not So Newlywed Game on Feb. 15. The evening, which includes dinner and a cash-only bar, plays off the classic game show to show off how much the participating spouses know about one another.
Turning Point organizers wanted to showcase healthy marriages and relationships, while also spotlighting the organization’s unending work providing services to individuals and families facing violence in their relationships.
“We don’t just deal with survivors of (domestic violence), sexual assault, trafficking and those in crisis. We’re out there doing prevention work as well, wanting to show there are healthy relationships,” said Michele Lee, Johnson County community service director for Turning Point. “What better way to do that than to show that there are healthy relationships in our community who have been living that dream.”
Every day, Turning Point staff and volunteers are confronted with the shattering impact domestic violence can have. The organization offers a variety of services, such as intervention for victims and families of domestic and sexual violence, emergency shelter, prevention education and professional training. Though founded in Columbus, Turning Point now serves six counties, including Johnson County.
Research shows that more than 1 in 3 women, and 1 in 4 men, will experience physical violence, rape and/or stalking by an intimate partner, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The pervasiveness of the problem makes Turning Point’s offerings all the more important.
“There have been cuts everywhere, so this allows us to continue the programming,” Lee said. “If there are cuts, there are no dollars for all of the programming that is so desperately needed.”
To raise money for all of the work it does, Turning Point created the Not So Newlywed Game, hosting the event for several years in Columbus. The fundraiser is no longer held in Bartholomew County, but organization leaders wanted to revive it in Johnson County — one of the largest areas among Turning Point’s service area.
“It just made sense to bring it here to the next-biggest county,” Lee said.
To bring the Not So Newlywed Game to life, Lee and other organizers tapped four couples who have supported Turning Point over the years. Those couples — Chris and Steve Beil, David and Josh Britton, Jill and Trent Newport, and Lydia and John Wales — have a deep appreciation for the work Turning Point does, and wanted to help.
“We are excited to support such a great cause in our community, and we look forward to having some fun at the event while supporting,” Trent Newport said.
Lydia Wales is the trustee for Franklin-Union-Needham Township. Every day, she sees the need for services provided by Turning Point. As the availability of those services becomes distressingly scarce, Wales has appreciated Lee’s commitment to growing Turning Point.
“As a trustee, we work with hundreds of agencies,” she said. “Turning Point has become very prominent now, because of her. And I’ll support her because of what she has going on.”
Participants have also personally felt the damage that domestic violence can inflict.
Steve Beil’s mother was murdered during a domestic violence incident, while Chris Beil’s mother also experienced domestic violence in numerous relationships.
“It’s pretty vivid in my memories — I remember trying to defend her against unhappy husbands,” Chris Beil said. “It means a lot to both of us to support this agency.”
Amy Skirvin, owner of the Sweat Shop, is emceeing the event with Beau Jackson of Modern Woodman. Skirvin, too, watched her mother struggle against abuse and violence as a child.
“We think that this is a certain demographic’s problem, and it’s happening all around us all the time,” “We need to realize it could be your best friend hiding it. We need to be standing up for this women. (My mom) was literally trapped; we’d go to a neighbor’s house, and went into hiding a couple times.
“As a kid, you wondered what would be waiting for you when you got home from school.”
They hope to channel their experience and the trauma of violence, redirecting it to do good and reflect positively on the night of Feb. 15.
The Not So Newlywed Game will follow a similar format as The Newlywed Game, the popular game show that started in the 1960s and ran, in various forms, into the 2010s. Newly married couples were asked questions to determine how well they knew or did not know each other.
For Johnson County’s version, the four couples will be separated and then drilled on their significant others’ likes, dislikes and opinions. Audience members will have the chance to laugh along during the good-natured competition.
But “winners” of the event aren’t the couples who answer the most questions about each other. Community members can cast their votes for the best couple with their wallets — making online donations in advance of the event.
“People can get online and vote for their favorite couple. The couple who has the most money ‘votes’ is the couple who usually wins the game show,” Lee said.
Audience members will be treated to dinner before the game show, with a cash-only bar available. From each drink purchased, $1 will be donated to Turning Point, Lee said.
Other entities have provided in-kind donations. Bud & Bloom Florist will be providing floral arrangements, while Lollipop Events is providing balloon arches and other decor. Franklin College is donating the space.
“We’re basing it off the original game show, where four couples are answering questions to try to match their spouse’s response, which can just be a lot of fun, as you imagine,” said Abigail Jones, grants and communications manager for Turning Point. “We invite the community to come out and promote healthy relationships while having a few laughs for Valentine’s Day.”
IF YOU GO
Not So Newlywed Game
What: A fundraising event benefiting Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, featuring dinner, a cash-only bar and a game show featuring four local couples.
Who: Chris and Steve Beil; David and Josh Britton; Jill and Trent Newport, and Lydia and John Wales
Emcees: Amy Skirvin and Beau Jackson
When: 6 p.m. Feb. 15; doors open at 5;30.
Where: The Branigin Room, Franklin College, 101 Branigin Blvd., Franklin
Cost: $60
Information, tickets and how to donate to “vote” for your favorite couple: TurningPointDV.org/jcnsnw
