Tim Tebow Foundation Sponsors Nationwide Special Needs Prom
In celebration of its 5th anniversary, the Tim Tebow Foundation created “Night to Shine,” a prom for people with special needs. In an effort to have this event positively impact as many people as possible, the foundation announced last fall that it would sponsor up to 50 churches around the country that are willing to host a Night to Shine prom.The result is that on February 13, the Tim Tebow Foundation will sponsor 45 Night to Shine prom events in 26 different states and three different countries (Uganda, Kenya and U.S.). More than 7,000 people with special needs all will be attending prom at the same time around the world, and the message of the night is that they are ALL kings and queens.“It’s not just me, it’s not just our foundation, but it is all 45 churches and volunteers in 26 states, three countries, coming together to show love and make a difference in more than 7,000 lives. That is what is special about this; Jesus is going to shine on this night, the churches are going to shine and the special needs community will shine on this night,” said Tim Tebow.
Night to Shine will be centered on God’s love for people with special needs, ages 16 and older. With a red-carpet entrance and friendly welcome from paparazzi, each prom will provide VIP treatment and will include special elements consisting of limousine rides, hair and makeup beauty stations, shoe shines, a dance floor, food and much more.
The vision for this idea came as the result of the foundation experiencing a similar event last year at a local church. “After seeing the smiles on their faces and the way it impacted their whole family, we were certain this was an event that needed to be shared with the rest of the country,” said Erik Dellenback, Executive Director of the Tim Tebow Foundation. “We wondered what would happen if we challenged churches to step up and make a difference in the lives of these special children, and the response was incredible.”
The foundation worked with many different groups who serve the special needs community to create a manual of how to put on a special needs prom. The foundation sent this manual out to many churches, as well as an offer to sponsor the event and supply a prom kit full of goodies for the participants, and more than 200 churches replied back with interest. The list was narrowed down based on location, size, desire to host and current work being done by the church in the special needs community.
Night to Shine will cost the foundation more than $600,000, but they aren’t concerned at all about the cost, as they remain focused on creating a brighter day for these amazing children and young adults.
“We are so thankful for the continued support of our donors, 45 host churches and more than 8,000 volunteers for helping bring the vision of Night to Shine into a reality. With continued support, we pray that it will grow and provide an annual night for the special needs community to shine,” said Dellenback.
The foundation already has a waiting list for churches interested in hosting next year’s event.
More information on Night to Shine and ways you can donate and get involved can be found in the Events section ofwww.timtebowfoundation.org.
The Tim Tebow Foundation is proud to announce that the following 45 churches have been chosen and signed up as host venues for Night to Shine on Valentine’s weekend, February 13, 2015:
2|42 Community Church Brighton, MI
Amazing Grace International Ministries Nairobi, Kenya
Bon Air Baptist Church at The Village Richmond, VA
Brooklife Church Mukwonago, WI
Brookwood Church Simpsonville, SC
Calvary Chapel Melbourne Melbourne, FL
Capital Area Christian Church Mechanicsburg, PA
Celebrate Community Church Sioux Falls, SD
Central Christian Church Beloit, WI
Christ’s Church Jacksonville, FL
Christ’s Church at Mason Mason, OH
Crossroads Christian Church Corona, CA
Crossroads Christian Church Grand Prairie, TX
Eastpoint Christian Church Portland, ME
Ekisa Ministries Jinja, Uganda
Faith Church New Milford, CT
First Christian Church Ministries Kernersville, NC
Genesis Church Tallahassee, FL
Genesis Community Church Port St. Lucie, FL
Geyer Springs First Baptist Church Little Rock, AR
Grace at Fort Clarke United Methodist Church Gainesville, FL
Heritage Church Moultrie, GA
Hillcrest Baptist Church New Albany, MS
Hope Lutheran Church Wake Forest, NC
Impact Church Scottsdale, AZ
Jill’s House Vienna, VA
Legacy Church Albuquerque, NM
Lifepointe Church Raleigh, NC
Life Gate Denver Denver, CO
Lima First Assembly of God Lima, OH
Liquid Church Mountainside, NJ
Mountain Christian Church Joppa, MD
Newberg Christian Church Newberg, OR
North Lakeland Presbyterian Church Lakeland, FL
Parkview Christian Church Orland Park, IL
Pikes Peak Christian Church Colorado Springs, CO
Prairie Ridge Church Ankeny, IA
Rising Above Ministries Cookeville, TN
Seacoast Church Mount Pleasant, SC
Stuart Heights Baptist Church Hixson, TN
The Crossing Quincy, IL
The Crossing Place Fellowship Franklin, LA
Trinity New Life Odessa, FL
West End Presbyterian Church Mechanicsville, VA
White Oak Christian Church Cincinnati, OH
The Tim Tebow Foundation exists to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. That mission is being fulfilled everyday through the foundation’s five areas of outreach, including Team Tebow, Timmy’s Playrooms, Orphan Care, W15H and the Tebow CURE Hospital. For more on the Tim Tebow Foundation, please visit www.timtebowfoundation.org.
