THE VILLAGES, FL (352today.com) – Every year, the Tim Tebow Foundation sponsors hundreds of special needs prom nights. In 2024, the Gators quarterback-turned-philanthropist is keeping it local with a location right here in The Villages.
Night to Shine is an annual dance hosted at churches around the world, aiming to create a safe space for people with special needs, their families and their caretakers to dance the night away. Now the Villages’ New Covenant United Methodist Church is taking up the torch by hosting an event on Feb. 9, 2024.
According to a statement from New Covenant, every part of the prom night is complimentary and volunteer-run.
Guests enter the party on a red carpet flanked by greeters and paparazzi. To help the guests look their best for the dance, volunteers do their hair, makeup and even shine their shoes. Guests also receive corsages, boutonnieres, prom favors and catered dinner.
New Covenant provides a karaoke room for guests to sing their hearts out, a Respite Room for parents and caregivers to take a break from the action and, of course, a dance floor. This coming year, the church is also considering setting up a calming sensory room and a boutique where guests can select a free outfit.
At the end of the night, every guest receives a crown and gets to be a prom king or queen for the night.
Tebow has never been quiet about the importance of Christianity in his life, and Night to Shine is always a church-hosted event. New Covenant says the event focuses on God’s love for people with special needs.
“It’s a night not only for our guests to shine, but for churches to shine, for volunteers to shine, and most importantly, for Christ to shine!” said New Covenant on its Night to Shine webpage.
The event is celebrating its tenth anniversary from its launch in 2014, and although New Covenant is the first church in The Villages to take part, it isn’t the only one in the 352 area. In 2023, One Life Fellowship in Ocala hosted a Night to Shine, along with 40 other churches across the state.
Interested in volunteering to help out with the event at New Covenant in The Villages? A list of committee roles is available here. There are dozens of roles seeking volunteers, from greeting guests and shining their shoes to marketing the event and assisting EMTs.
According to new information from New Covenant, the event already has over 450 volunteers.
Potential volunteers can call the New Covenant United Methodist Church’s office at 352-750-4529 or fill out a contact form for more information. The church is located at 3470 Woodridge Drive, The Villages.
