When an EF-1 tornado tore through Bourbon, Indiana, a rural town with a population of 1,600 on April 2, it left more than splintered homes and uprooted trees in its path.
It stripped away a sense of security for residents who pride themselves on strength.
A former local turned Indianapolis entrepreneur is channeling that strength into an unconventional recovery effort — one fueled by bourbon whiskey, tradition and good old-fashioned Hoosier grit.
Founder of the community-building platform Get Indiana and host of the “Get IN” podcast Nate Spangle, 38, watched from 150 miles away as images of his hometown’s devastation darted across his smartphone.
“Bourbon is the kind of town that shows up for you — whether it’s a flat tire or family tragedy,” Spangle said.
According to preliminary reports, the twister, which etched a path through Bourbon’s outskirts, damaged 30 homes and displaced 11 families.
For Spangle, whose childhood memories still smell of his grandfather’s auto shop and the earthy sweetness of cornfields after rain, inaction wasn’t an option.
“When I saw the damage, I knew I couldn’t just sit on the sidelines. This is about giving back to the people and place that shaped me,” Spangle said.
His answer? Bourbon 4 Bourbon: a whiskey-driven fundraiser partnering with Indianapolis-based Rare Saint Whiskey to sell 200 bottles of a limited-release single barrel bourbon.
The goal? Raise $20,000 by April 30 to support emergency housing, supplies and repairs for affected families.
Rare spirits and strategy
The campaign, hosted on the crowdfunding platform Patronicity, offers tiered rewards that blend Hoosier hospitality with Hoosier liquor laws:
Donors who contribute $100 receive one of the exclusive bottles of Rare Saint. A $500 pledge earns two bottles hand-delivered by Spangle anywhere in Indiana. For $1,000, supporters get six bottles plus a personalized thank-you video. The top tier — $2,500 — includes a private dinner with Spangle at Indianapolis’ iconic St. Elmo Steak House and a case of bourbon.
All alcohol-related gifts require donors to be 21 or older and based in Indiana.
“This isn’t just about writing a check,” Spangle said. “It’s about creating connections. When I hand someone their bottle, I want them to feel like they’re part of Bourbon’s story, too.”
‘The Heart has always been its people’
Bourbon, located 40 minutes south of South Bend, derives its name not from the drink but from Bourbon County, Kentucky — a nod to settlers who arrived in the 1830s.
Today, its identity hinges on weathered barns, a dollar store and the kind of unflinching camaraderie surfacing in crisis.
Spangle’s initiative eases that burden through partnerships with Bourbon’s volunteer fire department and Marshall County United Way. Funds will directly cover hotel vouchers, building materials and grocery gift cards.
“The heart of Bourbon has always been its people. Right now, they need us,” Spangle said.
A masterful blend of grief and action
For Spangle, the project is deeply personal. Spangle, the son of a factory worker and a school cafeteria manager, credits Bourbon’s “show up and help” ethos for shaping his career in community advocacy.
His Get Indiana platform, launched in 2019, highlights small businesses and grassroots changemakers statewide.
Yet bourbon — the spirit, not the town — played its own role in his path. As a teen, Spangle recalls his grandfather sipping Old Forester after fixing tractors.
“That amber color, the warmth of it — it’s comfort,” Spangle said. “I wanted this fundraiser to feel like that: familiar, steady, something that brings people together.”
Bourbon 4 Bourbon has raised more than $4,000 from dozens of patrons at the time of publication.
The road ahead
Recovery efforts face hurdles. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid remains tied up in bureaucratic review, leaving locals to lean on nonprofits and fundraisers like Spangle’s Bourbon 4 Bourbon.
Spangle acknowledges the marathon ahead. He’s coordinating with contractors to donate labor and planning a summer benefit concert. His podcast will soon feature Bourbon residents sharing their stories.
“This town gave me everything,” Spangle said. “If we can rally together, even from miles away, we can help our neighbors start to rebuild their lives.”
For more information or to donate, visit patronicity.com/project/bourbon_4_bourbon#!
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on TikTok @3Noral. Fpr ,pre news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
