The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
THE PROM GOES ON
Annual prom for special needs community still shining, but now on screen
“The Christian faith is about loving Jesus and loving people, and that is what we are trying to do with this foundation and all of our outreaches.” — Tim Tebow
Karen Keeney’s and Barb Sullivan’s hearts were warmed in spite of the kickoff of a polar vortex blowing in an 18-degree, cloudless morning Feb 6 as they drove from home to home delivering packages to the special needs community registered for a Painesville Baptist Church annual prom called Night to Shine, now gone virtual in 2021.
This is the fifth year the church has participated in this event, scheduled for Feb 12, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. But the gala will look a little different this year as a result of the global pandemic, while still blessing many honored guests with special needs, Keeney explained.
“I’m so glad we are still able to do something for a group of people that are oftentimes forgotten,” she said. “It warms my heart.”
It blesses Keeney and Sullivan to be able to lift up others, especially during the pandemic, and that is just the way the Holy Spirit works, they explained.
“Painesville Baptist Church’s mission is to Love God, Love One Another and Serve the Community,” Keeney explained. “Night to Shine is an opportunity for us to serve the community in the Savior’s name.”
Each of the registered guests will receive a Night to Shine gift bag with either a crown or tiara, corsage or boutonniere and some other carefully selected gifts, with donations from Chick-Fil-A, Aladdin Rental and Deming Enterprises, Inc. along with many volunteers for helping to make the event a success, she explained.
“The 2021 event will be an unforgettable virtual experience as we continue to love and serve the honored guests of Night to Shine in a new and unique way, while ensuring their health and safety are not compromised,” she said.
The Rev. Stoney Drain, pastor of Painesville Baptist Church, said a special guest is going to make an appearance for this unprecedented evening.
“We were told Tim Tebow will make an appearance because it’s a virtual event,” Drain said, “and it’s his foundation that’s putting it on.”
The mission of the Tim Tebow foundation is to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.
On the foundation website, Tebow recollects a time when he was 15 years old, he and his missionary parents visited a remote village in the Philippines where he met a boy named Sherwin who was born with his feet on backwards and was viewed as cursed by the villagers.
“When the people saw me hold Sherwin, they realized the good news of Jesus applies to everyone,” he wrote. “It was then that my passion grew to help people. The Christian faith is about loving Jesus and loving people, and that is what we are trying to do with this foundation and all of our outreaches.”
That cold but bright morning of the Night to Shine deliveries, brought hope and excitement to Chris Miller who looks forward to the event each year.
“Nice time,” Miller said about looking back at his experiences at Night to Shine events in the past and excited about next weekend’s event. “My new hat matches my mask!”