SHINING BRIGHTER

The Night to Shine special needs prom events are expanding into Edmond, Shawnee

the VIPs receive tiaras and crowns befitting the kings and queens of the prom, take photos, meet local athletes and celebrities and enjoy a meal and dance. Their parents and caregivers are treated to a nearby “parent prom,” which includes a meal and entertainment.

Miller attends Putnam City Baptist Church, 11401 N Rockwell, which held its first Night to Shine event in 2016, one of only two in the state at that time. Bixby also had one of the prom experiences in 2016.

Since that first event, Miller has been given the nickname “The Prom Guy,” and he has embraced it with pride.

He said he's not surprised that more churches are joining the Night to Shine effort, particularly because there are still many individuals who haven't attended one of the events yet.

“There's 10,00 athletes that come to Special Olympics, and we reach 2,000 with the prom now,” he said. “New kids move in, new kids turn 14. You get a whole new crop each year.”

The prom night experiences in Oklahoma will be held simultaneously with Night to Shine events hosted by more than 700 churches in all 50 states and 27 countries around the globe.

Night to Shine 2019 was hosted by 655 churches across all 50 states and in 24 countries. The Tim Tebow Foundation said the proms will be hosted by 720 churches across the country and in 34 countries.

Miller said the prom night event hosted by Putnam City Baptist fills quickly each year. He said the church has registered 410 VIPs for this year's prom and stopped accepting registration so the event won't be overcrowded. Last year, the church had fun with the theme “Toy Story,” based on the hit Disney/Pixar animated movie series. Miller said this year's event will have a circus theme.

Putnam City Baptist volunteers and the community partners who help make the prom a success look forward to hosting each year. Miller, who has a daughter with special needs, said the church has a popular Sunday school program for individuals with special needs and many people at the church are passionate about supporting these individuals and their caregivers.

“We do this (Night to Shine) just to show them that they belong. They want to belong. They want to do the same things that other people do,” he said.

Churches come together

Holder said Crossings-Edmond, 1500 W Covell, has some open spots available for VIP participants. She said she was pleased to see that the volunteer slots were filled. “It's fun to see the community come together and to have it happen so quickly,” she said.

Crossings-Edmond will host a parents prom at Cheyenne Middle School, 1271 W Covell, which is across the street from the church. Holder said like most of the Night to Shine parent events, Crossings-Edmond will live-stream the nearby prom so parents and caregivers may see their loved ones participating in all the activities.

Meanwhile, a group of Stillwater churches is coming together to host the community's second Night to Shine.

Robin Atkinson, one of the host team coordinators, said the event will be held at First United Methodist Church of Stillwater, and the parent prom will be at First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater.

She said other Stillwater churches helping with the event include Country Club Baptist Church and St. Francisd Xavier Catholic Church. Last year's prom had a Disney theme, and this year's theme is “The Enchanted Evening” with a Dr. Suess/Whoville emphasis. “We kind of feel like this brings us all together. It's a nice way for us to support a group of people who don't often get supported or celebrated,” Atkinson said.