Night to Shine prom date set for 'Greatest Show' at North Florida Fairgrounds

A Night to Shine is going to the circus for this year's prom at the North Florida Fairgrounds on Friday, Feb. 10. Sponsored in part by the Tim Tebow Foundation, Genesis Church will once again present this unique and fashionable prom extravaganza for individuals with special needs in the Tallahassee area.

As one of Tallahassee's most beloved events, Night to Shine has been a virtual-only event for the last two years due to the COVID pandemic. However, in 2023, the prom is back with all the pageantry that makes it truly a special evening for hundreds of attendees.

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Scott Hunter, lead pastor of Genesis Church, and his executive team, Rachel Ritter and Jennifer Nunez, are delighted to be able to set the stage once again for what they call the Greatest Show in Tallahassee.

“Because we are at the Fairgrounds, we are not fighting our surroundings, we are using it to create the theme, the Greatest Show," Hunter said. "We’re staging everything to look like the movie ‘The Greatest Showman,' so we are going all out circus. We are using all the visuals and pageantry that will make year nine’s Night to Shine something that attendees will not soon forget.”

Transforming the fairgrounds

The popularity of Night to Shine in the Tallahassee area has required the event to be moved to the North Florida Fairgrounds. Agriculture buildings are being transformed into individual prom theme facilities. One building is being dedicated to prom amenities, which allows professional hairstyling for the ladies and shoe shining for the gents.

Other amenities include boutonnieres and corsages, 360 degree photo booths, and even a circus-themed petting zoo! The next building will be set for dining (provided by Gordo’s and Bumpa’s Local 349) and karaoke, another favorite of prom guests. The final building is the dance hall - full of lights, music, and of course, dancing.

The greatest moment of the event culminates where each guest with special needs is crowned King or Queen of the Prom! Everyone receives a crown or tiara while the confetti cannons explode!

Every guest at Night to Shine is made to feel like God sees them, the true Kings and Queens that they are. Upon arrival, each attendee, with their designated escort “buddy,” will have their name announced by an emcee before walking down the red carpet to all the festivities.

On each side of the red carpet, will be scores of volunteers including members of the Marching Chiefs Fire Twirlers, FSU Cheerleaders and Golden Girls, FAMU Cheerleaders, Leon High Jazz Band and more. The smiles on the faces of these guests confirms that the year of planning, extensive money raising, hours and hours of setting up and decorating is all worthwhile.

Register special needs guests, volunteer

Night to Shine is an incredible event for deserving people. It is open to any person with special needs, ages 14 or older. However, in order to attend, each guest must register ahead of time.

The deadline for registration to attend or volunteer at Night to Shine is Jan.31, 2023. To register a guest or to volunteer, simply visit NightToShineTally.com.

To put on an event of this caliber also requires local companies of Tallahassee to financially sponsor this event as Genesis Church raises 100% of $75K that is required to put on such an event. The Tim Tebow foundation graciously financially supports only new proms taking place, as over 800 churches world-wide participate in this one event all on the same evening.

Genesis is in its ninth year and has been solely financially responsible since year three. Also, thousands of volunteers from the community are desperately needed to make Prom happen! Volunteers have opportunities to be a buddy, serve food, help run karaoke, be a greeter, cheer as paparazzi, check in guests and volunteers, pin flowers, shine shoes, set up and tear down and so much more!

“Without the gracious help and generosity of the Tallahassee community, Night to Shine would be impossible to put on,” Hunter said. “We keep active social media alerts, air radio spots, and run an efficient website, not to lose any opportunities for an individual who wishes to volunteer or to donate to our event.” To volunteer or to sponsor Night to Shine, simply visit the same site: NightToShineTally.com or call 850-942-5433.

For many of us, it has been years since we experienced our own personal prom. However, the memories do not completely fade away. That is Genesis Church’s wish for individuals with special needs and disabilities to have. It’s an opportunity for guests to form and to share their own special memories.

John Waldron is a substitute teacher for Leon County and participates in local programs for people with special needs and for children with Type 1 diabetes.  

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Night to Shine books date for prom at North Florida Fairgrounds