An Ellijay church is proud to be hosting an event its pastor said will become an annual night for children and adults with special needs to enjoy.
The Night to Shine, a prom for persons with special needs age 14 and up that is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, will take place at Cartecay Baptist Church Friday, Feb 7, from 6-9 p.m.
“You have to apply to be able to have the event and we were selected as one of the churches that will host it (this year), which will be our first,” said Chad Hall, pastor at Cartecay Baptist Church. “I have done special needs ministry at churches I’ve been at in the past. Through that, I heard about Night to Shine. I wanted to see what it would take to (have one here). It’s an honor to be able to host it.”
The first Nights to Shine were held in 2015 with 44 churches holding individual proms in their communities. In 2019, 655 churches in the U.S. and abroad participated in the event. This year, Cartecay Baptist will be among an anticipated 800 host churches.
“It’s for any age 14 and over. They will have the full prom experience,” said Hall. “They will come in on the red carpet and we’ll have paparazzi outside to greet them. We have the photographers lined up for the event and a limo coming.”
The event is free to attend and there is no admission charge or registration fee, Hall noted. Anyone who wishes to attend or wants to sign someone up to attend should contact the church by Feb. 5, he added.
Promgoers do not have to be affiliated with the church to attend.
“People can sign up by sending an email or calling the church. We also have the registration (information) on our website,” Hall said. “There’s no limit on the need. We have some (participants signed up) who are legally blind and deaf. We will also have a sensory room for those who may get out on the dance floor, but need to calm down for a few minutes. That room will be there for them.”
The Tim Tebow Foundation, an outreach nonprofit started by the former NFL quarterback and current Major League Baseball player, funds the Night To Shine, which was started to provide a prom experience for young people and adults who may not be otherwise be able to attend such a function.
The foundation’s mission is to “bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need,” Tebow states on the organization’s website.
“It is awe-inspiring to see how God is using the church globally to stand up and advocate for people with special needs. Every town, every village, every state, every country needs a Night to Shine for their special needs community — a chance to be a part of something significant and life-changing, and to be blessed in the process,” noted Tebow in a provided statement.
Hall said the gym at Cartecay Baptist will be the main venue for the event.
“We will have a hair and makeup station, a shoeshine station and a karaoke room. We have a nurse practitioner and an EMT who have volunteered as medical personnel, as well as some police officers who have volunteered to do security for us. We certainly want to make this a community event because we want to host it every year,” he noted. “A caretaker or caretakers are welcome to attend and we will have a respite room for the caretakers. They will be served a meal and it will be a place where they can hang out and rest for a few hours.”
More volunteers are also needed to help with the proceedings.
“Every participant has to have a buddy with them. They will be paired up with a buddy that night,” Hall said.
“Volunteers who are 18 and under will have to have a permission slip signed by a parent. If you’re 18 and older, we will require a background check and the Ellijay Police Department will be doing those,” he added.