Not-So Newlywed Game raises funds, fun, awareness

A record-setting fundraiser with late dramatics set the scene for the Not-So Newlywed Game as five couples vied for the crowning title at the sixth annual event hosted by Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas.

Each couple, Jennifer and Chris Burch, Kristi and Don Dodd, Naomi and Earnest Doyle, Sandra and Cary Erickson, and Jamie and James Scott, raised money, garnering dollars for points, then answered a series of fun questions by hosts Katie and Frank Celli, who were last year’s winners. As the game was ending, the Burches, who sat in third place most of the event, leap-frogged two couples via a last-second donation, to win the game, edging out the Dodds by a mere margin.

“The night was a huge success,” said Brooke Loupe, community engagement coordinator for Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas. “Not only did we receive the largest amount of funds in the six years of the Not-So Newlywed Game, but we highlighted the needs of Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas. We will now be able to provide more than 470 counseling sessions for those who are uninsured and do not have the ability to access mental health services.”

The Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas is a nonprofit counseling organization that uses the concept of mind, body and spirit to promote the healing and growth of people and the reconciliation of couples, families and organizations. The integration of behavioral sciences and faith traditions is their foundational base for counseling.

“We provide mental and behavioral health service for ages 5 and up with individual counseling, family counseling and more than 50% of our clients are under the age of 18,” added Loupe. “We have place therapy and partnerships with services at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Beaumont, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Silsbee and First United Methodist Church in Orange, as well as local school districts, so the clients don’t have to worry about transportation or obstacles to receive their services.”

For information regarding the Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas, call (409) 727-6400 or visit their website at sccset.org.