More Than a Phone nonprofit to hold fifth ‘More Than a Tailgate’ before the Colts play Tennessee Titans on Oct. 2
More Than a Phone, a nonprofit that partners with domestic violence shelters across the U.S. to provide smartphones and data service plans to the survivors they serve, is giving Hoosier residents and Indianapolis Colts fans a chance to support its mission at the fifth annual More Than a Tailgate fundraising event.
From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2. at Crane Bay Event Center in downtown Indianapolis, attendees can enjoy tailgate-inspired food and drinks, outdoor games and live music from the Cool City Band during a family-friendly tailgate. Live and silent auctions will take place throughout the event, which will include several getaways and a black opal necklace. All event proceeds will benefit More Than a Phone, which gives domestic violence survivors of partnering shelters a means to safely keep in contact with family, friends, law enforcement, children’s schools and more by providing smartphones and data service.
Event tickets can be purchased at morethanaphone.org/more-than-a-tailgate. For those unable to attend the tailgate in person, virtual ticket options are also available that include access to a live stream of the event and the silent auction. Last year’s More Than a Tailgate event raised nearly $130,000 to help survivors at shelters across Indiana and the U.S.
“Celebrating the fifth annual More Than a Tailgate is a tremendous accomplishment for our organization, and we cannot wait to welcome our guests and community partners to tailgate for a cause,” said Julie Moorehead, executive director of More Than a Phone. “While this event continues to get bigger and better each year, the need for community support also becomes greater over time. We want our guests and partners to know how important their attendance is for survivors in Indiana and nationwide.”
A continued national crisis, more than 12 million people are affected by intimate partner violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. In some situations, cell phones are used to exercise coercive control by tracking partners, accessing their calls and texts without permission, preventing communication with loved ones, and more.
Since its founding in 2017, More Than a Phone has provided over 5,800 smartphones and 23,000 months of service to survivors of its participant shelters. The organization currently partners with 73 domestic violence shelters across 21 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. Shelter partners in Indiana include Coburn Place and The Julian Center in Indianapolis; Prevail of Noblesville; Alternatives Inc. of Anderson; and more.
Additional information about the More Than a Phone and how to support the organization can be found by visiting morethanaphone.org or by following the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.