A night to shine: Falkville church to hold prom for individuals with special needs
Falkville church to host prom for special needs community
With the countdown to A Night to Shine underway, Danielle Hayes, Kim Baker, Rebecca Hill and their team of volunteers are readying to roll out the red carpet, arrange dozens of king and queen crowns and set up the dance floor for the annual event celebrating individuals with special needs.
“This is an amazing event,” said Hayes, who oversees the event at Falkville’s Fairview: A Grace Place Church with Baker and Hill. “This is better than any prom you could ever imagine. If you went to prom growing up, this is like the ultimate prom.” Created by the Tim Tebow Foundation, A Night to Shine celebrates teenagers and adults with special needs by holding proms, complete with a limousine ride, red carpet entrance, hair, makeup and shoeshine stations, a dance floor and the crowning of every attendee as king and queen. A global initiative, the 10th annual A Night to Shine, which took place in 2024, included 80,000 guests and 150,000 volunteers at more than 720 churches worldwide.
A Night to Shine will take place at Fairview on Feb. 8, 6-9 p.m.
“Individuals in the special needs community go unnoticed a lot of times. We need to change that. A Night to Shine is a huge step in that direction,” Hayes said.
While Hayes can describe what happens during the night – from the dancing to the hair and makeup stations to the karaoke singing – she struggled to completely capture the atmosphere in words.
“It is magical and spiritual at the same time. It is an amazing night,” she said. “From the volunteers to the attendees to the parents, it’s just a true blessing to be part of this event.” This year marks Fairview’s eighth year participating in the outreach ministry. Last year, around 120 guests attended the event.
For what Hayes described as “the ultimate prom,” guests, some aided by canes, walkers and wheelchairs, arrive at the church by limousine and go down the red carpet, which will be lined with volunteers cheering, taking photographs and acting like paparazzi.
This is Hayes’ favorite part of the night.
“When they step out of the limo, their faces just light up. You can see the excitement on their faces. They are the stars of the night. The night is all about them,” Hayes said.
Knowing some individuals with special needs experience sensory issues, the volunteers offer a silent red-carpet entry where they pretend to clap and yell.
Along with standing in the welcome line, the church needs volunteers, 16 years and older, to serve as shoe shiners, greeters, karaoke supporters, bathroom attendants and buddies.
“We are always in need of volunteers. There is a place for everyone to serve. What we need the most, though, are buddies,” Hayes said.
A buddy serves as a guest’s plus one for the night.
“The buddy is the date, but also the caregiver. A girl may be paired with a girl, whatever the guest is most comfortable with,” Hayes said. “It takes a special person to be a buddy. You have to really get to know your person.” Each guest wears a lanyard with their emergency contact information and special food needs.
Individuals can register to volunteer at fairviewthegraceplace.com. A mandatory training session for A Night to Shine volunteers will take place Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. During that session, volunteers will get acquainted with the layout of the church and understand the purpose of A Night to Shine.
The free event, which will include a dance floor, karaoke area and sensory room, is open to individuals with special needs ages 14 and older. While organizers ask for guests to preregister at fairviewthegraceplace. com, attendees can register the night of the event.
“We will have guests there from like 14 to 70. It’s absolutely wonderful. Once you start volunteering at A Night to Shine, you never want to miss it. It is a very special night,” Hayes said.
