The third annual Night to Shine event is scheduled to take place Feb. 8 at Fairview: The Grace Place in Falkville. The Night to Shine is a special needs prom event for the surrounding community and begins at 5 p.m. that evening.

Danielle Hayes plans the event alongside a large team of others. Hayes said the event is always one of the biggest for the church. “The prom is for a person with special needs. It is from 14 to any age can come. It’s sponsored by the Tim Tebow foundation. Last year we had 125 attendees. Then buddies that also go with them. We probably had 600 plus people on campus last year. It is a huge event,” she says.

Each prom attendee has a buddy that serves as their date. They also receive a crown or tiara, can visit a beauty area, karaoke, enjoy a limo ride and walk down the red carpet and more. In addition, there will be special guests such as Batman, Disney princesses, Santa and various local mascots.  “I cannot even describe the night, it is overwhelming with joy. It is fantastic to watch them walk the red carpet, just to be a part of it all,” Hayes said.

A Night to Shine first began after members of the church were inspired by some of their members with special needs. “We have several in our church that are special needs and they want to be a part of something. Our motivation is making sure they have a place and that they feel and know they are special. It probably started with our church members and from there were able to invite in a lot more friends,” Hayes said.

According to Hayes, there is a huge need for volunteers and sponsors to help with the night. Once you experience it, it is something you don’t want to miss next year. You want to be a part of it. From the moment you get here, it is just so exciting. It is better than any prom you have probably ever been to. I don’t know how to describe it, unless you are here, unless you experience it, and see their faces and see them on the dance floor, it is just pure joy. They are having the best night of their life,” Hayes said.

There are approximately 20 people that break off into teams and bring in more people to plan the special event each year. Hayes says that despite the hard work and the expense, it is an event well worth having. “A lot of our church members volunteer, but a lot of our volunteers come from out of the church to come help and it is a unity that you don’t normally see because a lot of them don’t come to church here, but when they get here it is like they are home. They jump in and they start helping, and it’s fantastic. Not only is it a great joy to see them and a great night to celebrate how special they truly are, but it also unites people from all different denominations,” Hayes said.

Each attendee can attend the prom at no cost. To help cover the expense of the food and festivities, the community can donate $50 to sponsor an attendee. Donations can be made by contacting the church at 256-784-5642 or through the Simple Give app. Families can register their attendee by visiting the Fairview: the Grace Place Facebook page or by visiting https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DWS1ZsrFbVU96n4VM5L6_gMU6JkZrz4CZXKJ3FVSHwE/viewform?fbclid=IwAR3SGGbj4w2mY2gJmywSg3FFhN0xlzjxwdZx5zJgRehyY2k1wrk_8UYn_8o&edit_requested=true

Volunteers can also register there. All volunteers must be 14 years or older and are required to complete a background check. They also must attend training sessions either Jan 20  at 2 p.m. or Feb 3 at 2 p.m. They must also attend a final walkthrough Feb. 6 and purchase volunteer shirts. “We try to make it as fun and a special night for them as we can. Everything we do as volunteers, our main goal is for everything we do, say or touch, let it glorify God in everything we do. We pray over this event from the time we start planning it to after. We love night to shine,” Hayes said.