The night of february 10th was truly a night to shine for people with special needs in Florence Alabama. Night to shine is a prom, put on specifically for people with special needs, and is sponsored by the Tim Tebow foundation. The event was put on by the amazing Casey Rubolin, in flowers hall at UNA. At 4pm friday evening, countless volunteers came pouring through the doors, ready to serve the atendees by making food, welcoming them to their prom, signing them in or by being their buddy to hang out with on the dance floor. Every volunteer worked hard to make the night a sucess, smiling at every second and helping Casey as much as possible.
I was amoung the volunteer team as a "buddy" which means I got to hang out with one of the attendees throughout the night. My buddy loved to sing and dance to all the music, both of her friends enjoyed dancing too. The three of them smiled so much and you could tell that they felt so loved and cared for. The best thing about night to shine was that the focus was on them, and spreading the love of God to them. It wasnt about the decorations, or the food or even the location, it was about the atendees having the night of their lives.
While I was with my buddy on the dance floor, I got the chance to dance with another special needs kid who just wanted to dance with a girl. He tried out all sorts of awesome dance moves with a pure joy.
Night to shine was completer with a dance floor, red carpet walkway and even karyoke, ensuring everyone had something to enjoy about the night.
Night to shine is so important to these sweet people. I have never seen a place so full of joy and fun, in my entire life. I highly encourage every community to hold this event, and bring this joy to the special needs people around you. Not only is it a great way to spread the love of God, but also to bring out a sense of community and fun where ever you hold the event.
Night to shine is the best prom you could ever be a part of, and I pray that every community has the chance to hold the event.
I am beyond thankful that Casey was able to pull off such an amazing event, her hard work and love of people with special needs was just what this community needed for a night of such fun and love. I'm also so thankful that I am a part of the church that helped this event come to life.
For more information on night to shine go to https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/index.php/night... there are tons of ways you can get involved, including donating money!
Congrats on an amazing night Casey!
