The 2019 Night to Shine was hosted by Genesis Church on Friday, Feb. 9. The event is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and is a Tallahassee-wide event. Night to Shine is a prom filled with red carpets, tiaras, photo booths, limo rides and so much more. But what makes Night to Shine stand out from your local high school prom? Night to Shine is a prom for children over the age of 14 with special needs. Each child is paired with a buddy for the night that they can enjoy the experience with. The event is also completely free for guests and their parents. Genesis Church states, “the vision is to provide an unforgettable night full of faith, hope and love for the amazing people with special needs”.
When the guests arrive, they are paired with a buddy for the night. It is no surprise that many of the members of FSU’s Best Buddies attend Night to Shine with their own buddies that they have formed a close relationship with. However, there are plenty more people that need buddies, too. Family friends are also welcome to serve as buddies for the night. There are upcoming opportunities to be involved with Night to Shine; the event will be in need of volunteers in 2020. The Genesis Church can answer questions and help you out if volunteering in the future sounds like the right choice for you.
The Genesis Church works not only to provide a great night for people with special needs but also their parents. The church gives the parents two options when attending the Night to Shine event. Parents can choose to attend the event with their children, meaning they are not assigned a buddy but instead will enjoy all of the magic of prom together as a family. The other option is parents may drop off their child to spend time with their buddy. After dropping off their child, they are invited to spend the night in the VIP section with other parents. The Genesis Church assures that parents attending the event can watch the night’s activities while being “pampered and served”.
Night to Shine is meant to be a magical experience for everyone involved. The Genesis Church knows everything needed for a perfect evening. If you would like to volunteer in the future or know someone who would like to attend, I highly encourage you to visit Genesischurch.tv for more information about the event. If you do not want to participate but would like to help in any way, the church accepts donations. Each year they offer a free Prom Shop for guests that are attending the event. This ensures that each guest is dressed their best and more comfortable. The Genesis Church will continue to put on Night to Shine to celebrate special needs children and their families for years to come!