Night to Shine Bring Together Students, Special Needs VIPs for Prom Experience
Molly Justice
Molly Justice
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Molly Justice
Feb 19, 2016, 9:30 AM
Student-athletes, cheerleaders, military students, singers and sorority members came together on a recent Friday night to join some very special guests on the red carpet during a Night to Shine. Night to Shine is an initiative of the Tim Tebow Foundation that honors individuals with special needs. This year, more than 200 host churches in nearly every state and eight countries duplicated the prom experience for about 30,000 honored guests around the world.
Hosted at the Jim W. Henderson Administration and Welcome Center, the Daytona Beach event brought 145 VIPs plus their caregivers to campus for an evening of royal treatment – complete with dancing, karaoke, limo rides and a photo booth. Details like crowns, tiaras, shoe shines and makeup were also part of the evening.
Members of the Embry-Riddle Women’s Soccer team, Naval ROTC, cheerleading team, AcaBellas, Alpha Xi Delta sorority joined ERNIE the Eagle and university staff for the festive affair on Feb. 12. Also supporting the event were the President’s Office, Athletics Department, Community Relations, Dining Services, Information Technology and Safety and Security. Locally, Christ Presbyterian Church in Ormond Beach was given the honor of producing the event.
“These are people who probably didn’t get a chance to go to their high school prom,” said event co-organizer and church member Bob Coleman. “One young woman told me she never in her life thought she would walk arm-in-arm down a red carpet with a Navy admiral … Our entire team agreed that we got more out of the evening than we gave. None of us will ever forget it.”
Midshipman Samantha Shofestall said she and the other midshipmen escorted the VIPs down the red carpet and assisted with limo rides and the photo booth. They also served as back-up singers, dance partners and photographers for the kings and queens.
“The best part was getting to know some of the VIPs,” she said. “We participated in and enjoyed the evening nearly as much as the guests … I’m delighted we got to witness all the joy the night brought to the VIPs.”
For the women’s soccer players and coach, the event was especially meaningful because team supporter and local high school student Mandy Brock had approached the foundation about sponsoring a local event.
“Our department places a strong emphasis on developing ‘the package’- student, person and player. Events like the Night to Shine are invaluable opportunities to develop that ‘person’ component,” said Coach Samantha Bohon. “It’s so easy for our student-athletes to become consumed with life in the college bubble. We try to make deliberate efforts to get our team outside of themselves as individuals and contribute to the various needs in our community. It’s also a great way to gain a healthier perspective on our own lives.”