‘Night to Shine’ coming to Brookhaven
Published 3:20 pm Sunday, December 10, 2023
- PHOTO SUBMITTED Taylor Wells is looking forward to walking the red carpet at the Night to Shine prom event in Brookhaven on Feb. 9, 2024. She’s previously attended the event in Hattiesburg and can’t wait to meet her assigned volunteer “buddy” who will accompany her throughout the night.
Tim Tebow’s “Night to Shine” will soon be hosted in Brookhaven.
Easthaven Baptist Church announced recently it will serve as a host to the 2024 Night to Shine in Lincoln County. Sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, this unforgettable prom night experience celebrates people with special needs as honored guests.
The event is centered on God’s love and will be held simultaneously by host churches around the world on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. The Brookhaven event will be 6- 9 p.m. This will be the first year for the Brookhaven area event.
“Easthaven is excited to be a part of this worldwide movement that God is using as a catalyst to change how cultures embrace people with disabilities and to rally the church worldwide to honor their local community of people with special needs, ensuring they know they are valued and loved,” said EBC Night to Shine Brookhaven Planning Team spokesperson Celeste Williamson.
Night to Shine is open to anyone living with disabilities, ages 14 and older. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. Each guest will be assigned a volunteer (buddy) to escort them through the evening. While each event is a little different, some activities include a red-carpet entrance complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi, hair and makeup stations, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, dancing, karaoke, gifts, a respite room for parents and caregivers, a sensory room, and a crowning ceremony where every honored guest receives a crown or tiara.
“I’m so excited that we will celebrate 10 years of Night to Shine this coming year! All around the world, people with special needs are going to be cheered for on the red carpet, dance the night away with their friends, be crowned a king or a queen of the prom… but most importantly, they’re going to hear that they are loved by the God of this universe. We continue to be in awe of all God has done over the past nine years, but we believe He has even more in store. Every town, every village, every nation needs Night to Shine because we want every person with special needs to know that they are one of one, created in love, by love and for love,” said Tim Tebow, founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Over the years, Night to Shine, through hundreds of churches from 56 different countries, has provided more than half a million guest experiences. The 2024 Night to Shine marks the event’s 10th anniversary.
“We are so excited to bring the Night to Shine experience to Brookhaven. This event is a beautiful reminder that all of us are worthy of love, respect, and a special night out,” said Easthaven pastor Hal Kitchings. “We can’t wait to celebrate with our honored guests and their caregivers and show them the love of Christ.”
In addition to the prom for the honored guests, there will also be a special dinner and activities planned for the caregivers of our honored guest. Caregivers play a vital role in the lives of their loved ones, and this dinner will provide them with a well-deserved meal while their loved-one is cared for at the prom.
Registration for the Night to Shine is required for honored guests and caregivers. To register or for more information, visit www.easthaven.net/nighttoshine or contact the church office at 601-833-2597. Easthaven Baptist is located on Hwy. 84 E in Brookhaven, near Interstate 55.
For more information on Night to Shine, visit: www.timtebowfoundation.org/night-to-shine.