Sixth Night to Shine event held at South Ridge Church
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — The annual Night to Shine celebration, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, took place at South Ridge Church in Fairmont Friday night where those with disabilities were given the star treatment.
Now in its sixth year, South Ridge Church has hosted Night to Shine, a one-of-a-kind prom night experience celebrated globally. Church officials said they were thrilled to be part of this inspiring event, aiming to transform how cultures embrace individuals with disabilities and encourage local communities to honor those with special needs.
This year's Night to Shine at South Ridge welcomed more than 100 guests from across the Mountain State and was supported by more than 400 volunteers.
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'So, this particular Night to Shine is one of, our biggest, we have actually brought in ten guests more than we usually did. We had over 50 guests sign up in the first three days of registration this year. So, every year we get more and more guests, more and more people who want to be part of it. And so, we just keep growing and growing,' the Night to Shine at South Ridge Church Coordinator Jennifer Wilson said.
Each guest of Night to Shine is welcomed on the red carpet by friendly crowds and paparazzi. Guests receive royal treatment, including hair and makeup stations, shoe shining areas, limousine rides, corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, and prom favors. At the end of the night, all guests are crowned kings and queens of the prom.
'This means the world to me. A part of my community service initiative is about the Ronald McDonald House and my family's experience and my little cousin who was born with very severe Spina Bifida. So, getting to be part of something that is so near and dear to my heart and getting to experience it here is so important and I'm so excited to be here,' Miss West Virginia Teen 2024 Demi Breeden said.
Night to Shine began in 2015 with 44 host churches and 15,000 volunteers, celebrating over 7,000 prom kings and queens.
'I really didn't know what to expect here, but it was really a great time being able to go walk down with everybody down the red carpet, being able to interact with everyone and seeing how they wanted me to walk them down, some of them did and just seeing that really brightened up the day, that's for sure,' the Alternate WVU Mountaineer Mascot Justin Waybright said.
2025 marks the 11th anniversary of Night to Shine, with thousands of churches across around 50 countries hosting events that have given more than half a million guests a prom-like experience.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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