Fairgoers asked to wear purple Sunday to back Brazos Valley domestic violence shelter

Visitors to the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo on Sunday, Oct. 25, are being asked to dress in purple as part of the Man Up Crusade, a domestic violence awareness effort the fair is staging alongside the Brazos County Sheriff's Office.

The money raised that day goes to Phoebe's Home, the emergency shelter run through the Domestic Violence Program at Twin City Mission. According to KBTX, the fair is selling purple bandanas and holding a raffle for a buckle, with proceeds going to the shelter. Fair manager Avery Fisher told the station that donations are also being taken through the fair's website.

About the shelter

Twin City Mission says the program helps people harmed by domestic or dating violence in Brazos County and the six other counties of the Brazos Valley. Its services are free and include counseling, case management, legal advocacy and safety planning. Phoebe's Home, founded in 1978, is the program's 24-hour emergency shelter for victims and their children.

Melanie Noyola of Phoebe's Home told KBTX the organization runs a 24-hour hotline alongside the shelter and offers counseling, case management and safety planning.

If you go

The Brazos County Expo Complex, 5827 Leonard Road in Bryan, is hosting the fair. Sunday hours are noon to 10 p.m., according to the fair's FAQ page, and on-site parking is free. Tickets, the schedule and the donation link are on brazosvalleyfair.com. Garrett Talamantes is Sunday's concert performer.

Where to get help

Twin City Mission lists its 24-hour local hotline as 979-775-5355 and its toll-free line as 888-452-9253. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. The mission cautions that someone else may be able to see a device's browsing history and suggests using a safer phone or computer if that is a concern.

Sources

KBTX

brazosvalleyfair.com

twincitymission.org

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