St. Marks to again host Night to Shine prom

FINDLAY — A winter wonderland complete with Christmas trees, lights, flowers and dancing will be waiting as St. Marks United Methodist Church hosts an event that gives people with special needs a chance to enjoy a prom night experience. Tonight's gala, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, is a faith-based event that will be held simultaneously by churches around the world. This is the second year St. Marks has been a host. "I didn't know a whole lot about Night to Shine before (last year). I had heard about it but wasn't really sure what all it involved," said senior pastor, the Rev. Dan Metzger. Once the church started looking into it though, "it seemed like a great opportunity to be able to show some love to some members in our community that might sometimes feel left out of their own prom night or just need celebrated a little bit," he said. Just under 70 people attended the 2023 dance. This year, just over 100 guests ages 14 and older are expected. Reservations are now closed. According to event organizers, every guest enters this complimentary event on a red carpet complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi as they are announced by the DJ. They'll also receive the royal treatment at hair and makeup stations, shoe shining areas, corsages and boutonnieres, food, a photo booth, limo rides, karaoke and a dance floor. It's a magical evening, said Aubrey Sopher, who helped bring the event to Findlay. She has a special needs daughter, Rylee, who is 16 and attends Findlay High School. "We've done a lot of different kinds of special needs' events and programs, but unfortunately until recently there wasn't a lot in Findlay so we've done a lot of traveling," she said. Most recently, they have attended proms in Oak Harbor. "It's not associated with the Tim Tebow Foundation but the community puts it on. Everything is donated or money is donated to them and they put it on every year - full meal, dancing, DJ, princesses, door prizes, the whole nine yards. It's a wonderful time," she said. "But, it's an hour away. It's quite a drive from here." One night Sopher wondered why Findlay couldn't host it's own event. She reached out to Beth Yoder, who is affiliated with St. Marks. Sopher explained that the church has to be approved by the Tim Tebow Foundation. "So she got the church's permission and then the foundation has to approve the church, and they approved St. Marks," said Sopher's sister, Brittany LaFountain. Metzger said being part of the event is a great opportunity for the church. "And it's also the kind of event that we love where it's not just the church but the community that's involved and we just get to be a host to it," he said. The church was approved in November 2022 which gave the core committee - including Sopher, Yoder, Metzger and Sarah Riker - three months to make arrangements. Guests ranged in age from 14 to 65 at the first prom. "Rylee's is non-verbal, but she is very much aware and communicates in different ways," said LaFountain. "She enjoyed it last year. She loves music." This year, 108 guests are registered. They will be joined over 100,000 attendees across the globe. "So that's really neat because it happens all over the globe at the same time," Sopher said. This marks the 10th year for proms sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Over the years, Night to Shine - through hundreds of churches from 56 different countries - has provided over half a million guest experiences. Other area dances are held in Upper Sandusky, Lima and Defiance. Upon arriving, every guest is matched with a buddy who accompanies and assists them throughout the evening. In all about 200 volunteers will help with tonight's prom, said Metzger. Background checks have been done on each of them for safety. "It's a lot of volunteers and it says something about this community that it's not been difficult to get the volunteers," he said. "It's been a really easy sell for people to say, 'Yes, that sounds like something I would love to be a part of.'" LaFountain, who is in charge of decorations, said this year's theme is Winter Wonderland. The venue will be decorated with holiday trees, white lights, Christmas décor and centerpieces. A sensory room is provided for guests who need a break from the festivities. Parents meanwhile will have access to a respite room in the church where they can watch a live stream of the dance while getting some relaxation and quiet time. The highlight of the evening will be the crowning ceremony that starts with a video message from Tebow about the love that God has for everyone, including special needs individuals. "Then at 7:30 p.m., all across the world, each guest will get a crown or tiara to let them know that they really are, especially in God's eyes, a king or a queen," said Metzger. "It was just incredible. And as soon as it was over, people were asking, are you doing this again next year? And we said, absolutely. How can we say no?" he said. Several pre-prom events were also held including prom dress and suit giveaways. Sopher said Twirl in Kenton donated 200 new prom dresses. Donations were also taken from the community so guests could come and chose a dress or suit at no cost. Metzger said it was a wonderful event last year. "I watched community members line the red carpet and celebrate and cheer for people as they came in and it really made me just so thankful to be a part of a community that cares so much for our most valuable members," he said. More information can be found on the group's website which is accessible through the church website. Donations are also accepted for Findlay's Night to Shine.