Reunited twin brothers cheering for opposing teams gifted Super Bowl tickets
11 February 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Here in the Kansas City Chiefs Kingdom, you can bet there will be no shortage of watch parties this weekend.
“Oftentimes, the Super Bowl or football games can go hand in hand with alcohol,” said Maria Nelson, Program Manager for The Phoenix.
This is why the Wichita non-profit gym is offering a new option this year, a Sober Bowl Party.
“We’ve heard from several people who’ve come in here. ‘Yeah, you know my family’s having a big Super Bowl watch party. I don’t want to go and be around the drinking. I don’t want to go and have to face some of those triggers.’ So come here. You know, it offers that safe space for somebody to still have fun,” Nelson said.
The only cost to get in is 48 hours of sobriety.
“You don’t have to be someone who identifies as in recovery from substances to come,” Nelson said. “This is a community that is we’re here for everybody.”
For those with other plans, community advocates are asking: if you plan to drink, then make a plan to get home.
“I think the disconnection happens where it feels like this is just something that I’m doing as an individual, and it’s a choice that I’m making that’s not hurting anybody,” said Heather Plaza, Executive Director of the DUI Victims Center.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 45 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies from a crash with an impaired driver.
“It can not only create burdens for you and your family, but it can also destroy people’s lives,” Nelson said.
A sober ride brings a guaranteed win on Super Bowl Sunday.
The DUI Victim Center says you can book a ride on an app, assign a designated driver, or plan to stay wherever you drink.
As for The Phoenix, 145 N Wabash Ave, their doors will open at 5 p.m. on Sunday.