Plant City shines with inclusive prom

Hundreds lined the red carpet Feb. 9 at the inaugural Night to Shine event in Plant City. More than 100 special needs teens and adults participated in the prom-themed experience and walked away as the crowned kings and queens of the prom.

The annual event is organized through the Tim Tebow Foundation and was held Friday in more than 500 locations in 16 countries. Churches apply to host the event and if accepted, they are given the reins to throw a night to remember for their community. Lauren McNair, chair of the event, asked Brian Stowe, her pastor at First Baptist Church of Plant City, to consider hosting the event this year. He agreed and plans were quickly put in place to give the town a night to remember.

“Personally, I had an uncle who was special needs and he passed away a few years ago,” McNair said. “I was very close to him, so the special needs community is very close to my heart. Right after last year’s Night to Shine my family members and I started seeing publicity photos from the event and we didn’t even know about it until that point. All of us were saying, ‘We need to do this.’”

It took six months of preparation, 200 volunteers and more than 100 crowns to create a prom night full of memories that will last a lifetime. Attendees walked a red carpet and had their names announced as they entered the Expo Hall at Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds. Guests could take part in a karaoke room, limo rides, a photo booth, boogie on the dance floor, enjoy balloon animals and a catered dinner.

Parents were able to either sit back and watch the festivities unfold or retire to a respite room and have the security of knowing their child was being taken care of. Attendees ranged from the ages of 15 to mid-40s and all dressed in their finest attire.

Each attendee was assigned a buddy for the evening and when the countdown began toward the end of the night, a crown was placed on their heads by their new friends. McNair said it’s important for everyone to walk away as royalty and to know they are cherished by their community.

McNair said people in Plant City shouldn’t have to leave their town to experience such a “wonderful event.” She said the doors are open to everyone, but it is their mission to offer the experience to the town and community they all hold so dear.

Night to Shine is usually held at the host church, but the sanctuary at FBC of Plant City was too small for the massive turnout. Luckily, the Festival agreed to act as a surrogate and the hundreds of dancers were able to party all night with ample room. Next year, Stowe said the event will be held at the church’s new sanctuary.

The majority of the volunteers are from Stowe’s church and he said one woman told him she had to walk away at one point because she was crying too much. The event touched all of their hearts, Stowe said, and he is looking forward to continuing the experience and reaching as many people as possible.

“These folks here, I really believe folks with special needs probably convey a loving God to a desperate world better than anybody else,” Stowe said. “They’re real, they’re genuine, what you see is what you get and, man, they are awesome to love.”