Julie Furber chuckled when someone asked if she and husband Paul were brushing up on possible questions for the upcoming fifth annual Not-So-Newlywed Game fundraiser Oct. 3.
As if 26 years of wedded togetherness hardly qualifies for being on the same page.
“Well, we tried (practicing), by doing things like looking up questions online,” she said. “But I think we know each other pretty well.”
The Furbers and four other local couples will discover just how well they know each other when the friendly and often funny contest unfolds at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at The Commons at 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus. The format is taken from television’s The Newlywed Game, except with a twist: These couples usually have been married long enough that they must extensively search their memory bank for sometimes now-foggy details such as the location of their second date, items they would never be without on a deserted island and such.
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Ticket sales benefit Columbus-based nonprofit Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, working toward the prevention and the elimination of domestic and dating violence. Last year’s event generated $49,000 for the cause.
This year’s goal is $56,000, said Lisa Shafran, Turning Point’s president.
The game reinforces Turning Point’s work in preventing dating and domestic violence by providing examples of healthy relationships to the community. One key element that has landed in the spotlight the past couple of years has been a generous dose of humor and laughter.
Some of that has been based on a spouse’s incredulity on a partner’s seemingly clueless answer to a question from host Mickey Kim, who also injects his brand of dry wit into the proceedings, such as pointing out that the goal is to guess what a spouse will say, not necessarily to provide correct information.
“Remember,” he has reminded the couples beforehand, “just like at home, a right answer gets you zero points.”
Plus, the crowd sometimes includes entire cheering sections, including homemade signs, supporting various couples. Shafran mentioned that this year’s winner will face off next year in a final all-star Not-So-Newlywed Game competition against winners from the previous four years. Then Turning Point will launch a new annual fundraiser.
Kyle and Veronica Turner are figuring that the fact that they have been married only seven years will be a boost.
“We figure that will work in our favor because we don’t have quite as much to remember as others,” Kyle Turner said.
He and his wife readily agreed to be part of the event for a simple reason.
“It’s for a great cause,” he said. “And we thought it also would be a great way to meet some new people.”
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What: Turning Point Domestic Violence Service’s fifth annual Not-So-Newlywed Game, involving a twist on television’s The Newlywed Game
When: 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3, including Turning Point’s annual community report before the game.
Where: The Commons, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus.
Tickets: Available at turningpointdv.org/events
The couples:
- Paul and Julie Furber
- Kyle and Veronica Turner
- Rolf Loescher and Donna Darcy
- Ken and Amy Kaiser
- Jon and Sarah Rohde
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