Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and an upcoming event is celebrating the love of all people and the value of life.
“Night to Shine,” a prom-style event for individuals with special needs, is set for 6 p.m. Feb. 7 at Michaud’s Catering & Event Center in Strongsville. It is hosted by Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church in partnership this year with Brunswick Reformed Church. This year marks Royal Redeemer’s fourth year serving as a “host church” for this truly memorable event sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, a Christian-centered global community founded by professional athlete Tim Tebow. The annual foundation event is held simultaneously around the globe on the Friday before Valentine’s Day. Lynn Ebner, the special needs ministry coordinator at Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church, organizes the church’s local event and said that this year 800 churches around the world will be doing the same.
“Last year, one of our pastors walked in and told us he felt the Holy Spirit in the building,” Ebner said of the event’s powerful impact. “You just can’t help but feel the joy.”
The event is truly magical for its attendees, who enter the event site on a red carpet and are greeted by a cheering crowd. Once inside, guests are treated to hair and make-up stations, shoe-shining areas, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, prom favors, a dance floor and a memorable moment when each guest is crowned king and queen, Ebner said. Caregivers and parents are given five-star service as well and are treated to their own party featuring a plated dinner, hand massages, manicures, shoe-shine service and a DJ/MC.
Close to 1,000 people are expected to attend next month’s event including 310 prom guests, 310 companion “buddies,” 200 parents/caregivers and more than 150 volunteers serving in various capacities.
“’Night to Shine’ is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs ages 14 and older. Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church is excited to be a part of this worldwide movement that is uniting churches of different denominations all over the world with the common goal of celebrating people with special needs,” Ebner said.
Nearly every aspect of “Night to Shine” is a donated or deeply discounted service, representing vendors like Ada Ahrens, Brown Aveda Institute of Strongsville, DJ and Master of Ceremonies Mark Rein, DJ Lisa Keister, Go Cleveland Productions, Lake Erie Limo, VIP Limo and Michaud’s Catering and Event Center.
Churches must apply for the honor of hosting a “Night to Shine” prom and if approved, receive foundation dollars to assist in the production of their local event. The foundation also provides its host churches with decorative logoed boards, banners and attendee gift bags. Royal Redeemer received $15,000 that was broken up over the past three years of previous “Night to Shine” events. This year, the Royalton Road congregation received $2,000 for their 2020 event. Thousands more was generously raised by their church community. Foundation support will cease in 2021.
“People with disabilities are not treated as well as they should be, they’re not,” Ebner said. “Our plan is to continue hosting this event for as long as possible. You see everyone’s faces during this event just so glowing and so happy.”
Ebner, who once worked in the finance department at Northeast Care Center in North Royalton, said oftentimes people are simply uncomfortable around men and women with special needs. She too experienced a personal learning curve while she worked at Northeast Care Center, a nonprofit corporation providing support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a variety of community living settings.
“We are all simply born different,” she said. “I’ve found that people will step up and help if you simply ask them or tell them how they can be of help.”
To learn more about The Tim Tebow Foundation’s global “Night to Shine” event and to watch coverage of “Night to Shine” prom events throughout the world, visit https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/ministries/night-to-shine.
By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer