CALDWELL- The Caldwell Night Rodeo kicks off next week, and Wednesday, Aug. 15, is Purple Night. It has been a tradition for six years now and benefits the Man Up Crusade.
The non-profit, focused on preventing domestic violence, was started by Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue and his wife, Jeanie, six years ago.
Studies show one in four women and one in seven men are victims of domestic violence. Sheriff Donahue says 50 percent of police calls for service are domestic violence-related.
The Man Up Crusade aims to lower those numbers by bringing the public awareness campaign to fairs and rodeos in the Treasure Valley and across the nation. Young people are a main focus.
"That's really where we're going to make a change," said Jeanie Donahue, executive director of the Man Up Crusade. "We need to reach them and show them there's a better way to have a relationship."
New this year, to help spread that message is the Man Up Crusade ambassador program. The College of Idaho has signed on, and several football players are already taking part.
"They're learning about domestic violence, about the issues, about the resources available, and with that knowledge they're going to take that back to their peers," Jeanie Donahue said.
They will also share their knowledge at grade schools. When they were presented the idea to be a part of the Man Up Crusade, College of Idaho running back Nick Calzaretta said he was in.
"Listened to the statistics behind it and it kinda blew me away," Calzaretta said. "It's a great cause to be behind and help stop and prevent if from happening and I'm just excited to get going with it."
"They're so gung-ho to do it," Sheriff Donahue said. "They're excited to be out there. They understand it and are passionate themselves and know we can make a difference, and that is exactly what we need as a culture."
The Man Up Crusade runs on private and corporate donations.