‘Night to Shine’ prom returns Friday

February 6, 2019 | 3:00 am

Updated February 5, 2019 | 8:42 pm

Night to Shine 2018. | Photo courtesy of Night to Shine Owensboro

For the third year, Life Community Church will again serve as one of nearly 500 churches around the world already registered to host Night to Shine 2019, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, simultaneously on Friday, Feb. 8. There are nine churches in Kentucky who will be hosting this night, but only one in Owensboro.

Held at the Owensboro Convention Center and centered on God’s love, Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience for people with special needs ages 14 and older. This year, Night to Shine Owensboro has increased its capacity for attendees to 165.

“Life Community Church is excited to be a part of this worldwide movement that God is using as a catalyst to change how culture embraces people with special needs and to rally the church worldwide to stand up for those who are differently-abled,” said Kerri Booker, media contact for Night to Shine Owensboro.

Photo courtesy of Night to Shine Owensboro

Night to Shine guests walk a red carpet — complete with paparazzi — to enter the event. Once inside, guests are treated to hair and makeup stations, shoe shining areas, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, prom favors and a dance floor where later, every guest will be crowned prom king or queen, according to the release. Limousine rides will also be available for guests.

“Preparation for this [2019’s Night to Shine] began as soon as the 2018 event concluded on February 9, 2018,” said Booker. “Each prom attendee will be accompanied throughout the night by a buddy who will do anything and everything to ensure the attendee enjoys this amazing event and experiences the love of Jesus.”

As the sponsor of Night to Shine, the Tim Tebow Foundation provides host churches with the official 2019 Night to Shine Planning Manual, the official Night to Shine Prom Kit, complete with decorations and gifts for the guests, and personalized guidance and support from a Tim Tebow Foundation staff member. The foundation also has committed millions of dollars in financial support to hundreds of churches needing assistance in hosting the event.

Night to Shine is completely free of charge for guests as well as two parents/caregivers. The only cost to attendees is their attire. The Tim Tebow Foundation provides host churches with a grant to assist with the financial obligation that comes with hosting Night to Shine. Each year a church hosts the event, the amount of the grant decreases; therefore financial support from the community is vital to hosting this worldwide event in Owensboro.

“We have received support from local businesses who generously sponsor in the form of monetary donations and others who donate their time and services,” Booker said.

When Night to Shine launched in 2015, 44 host churches and 15,000 volunteers worked together to honor more than 7,000 kings and queens of the prom. This past February, 537 host churches and 175,000 volunteers came together to celebrate 90,000 honored guests with special needs.

“I am blown away by how we are seeing God use the church to step into this space as an advocate for people with special needs,’ said Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation. “It’s not about my foundation or the churches themselves, but about communities coming together to love and celebrate people with differences.

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,” Tebow said.

Volunteer registration is open and guest registration begins Nov. 1.

For additional information on Night to Shine hosted by Life Community Church in Owensboro, visit www.lifeowensboro.com or our Facebook page, Night to Shine – Owensboro KY.

February 6, 2019 | 3:00 am

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