Tim Tebow gala in Toms River includes people with disabilities in the fun
TOMS RIVER - Friday night was special for David Barozzie. The 15-year-old from Toms River got to dress up, make a grand entrance along a red carpet and enjoy the food and music of a gala with all the trappings. He was feted like royalty, and he wasn’t alone.
David, who has Down syndrome, was among 120 teens and adults with special needs who were honored guests at “Night to Shine.” Presbyterian Church of Toms River hosted the event, which took place simultaneously at hundreds of churches around the world.
“For my son to go to a prom like this is unreal,” David’s mother Jenn Barozzie said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
It’s extra meaningful for the Barozzie family. David’s dad Michael Barozzie founded the church’s special-needs ministry. Michael died two years ago at age 44, and his successor at the church, Lori Tomenchok, built on his mission. The result was in full view Friday as 300 volunteers pulled off “Night to Shine,” which included serving a respite dinner to 200-plus parents of the attendees.
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This was a massive undertaking, and here’s the icing on the cake: They opened the doors wide beyond the church’s membership — to the region's entire special-needs community.
“From where we started until now, it’s amazing to see how many families are using the resources that we have, and I’m so happy about that,” Jenn Barozzie said. “This is what we need in our area.”
A great eye-opener
“Night to Shine” is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, a charity founded by former football star Tim Tebow. Tomenchok applied to be a host after connecting with foundation leaders last year at a conference in Ohio.
“In Ohio, one of greatest eye-openers I had is that so many churches don’t welcome the special-needs community in,” she said. “We want them to know: You are welcome here.”
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As Tomenchok would learn, saying that and actually doing it are two very different things.
“We thought, ‘OK we’ll have a dance, we’ll decorate, and it will be fun,’ but it has turned into so much more,” she said. “It’s about building a community of people who will get on board and understand the need for us to have programs like this for the families who need our support.”
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Assistance for “Night to Shine” poured in from all over. Outback Steakhouse in Brick donated over 200 dinners for the parents. Jimmy Pecci’s Taste of Italy in Tinton Falls donated over 200 dinners for the honored guests and the volunteer “buddies” each of them is paired with for the night. Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in Toms River loaned couches for a quiet room. OceanFirst Bank Foundation came aboard as a major sponsor.
The plan is to ride the momentum from this mobilization into a year’s worth of activities and service projects.
“Night to Shine is just the kickoff,” Tomenchok said.
'Truly blessed'
Drawing on their experience as parents, Michael and Jenn Barozzie got the ball rolling a few years back.
“We found out about this thing called special-needs ministry and how it helped families go to church and not have it be so difficult for them — whether it was having a buddy for them in church or having a space for them to go to that was welcoming,” Jenn said. “I think a lot of families of children with special needs tend not to attend church, because if their child is being loud or disruptive, they don’t want negative attention to be brought to themselves. We started there and went to monthly social, and it grew from there.”
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A network of special needs families sprang up. Michael’s sudden passing two years ago “was traumatic for everyone,” Jenn said, “but they’ve all been grieving with us and also sharing in the joy of David making these milestones, so we are truly blessed by that.”
Confirmation was one of those milestones last summer. In its way, Night to Shine was another. Plans for the 2025 gala already are forming. Jenn Barozzie remains deeply involved as a volunteer, and although Tomenchok never met her husband, his hand in this is clear.
“I pray to him to guide us in his vision,” Tomenchok said. “We really feel that together, we’re carrying on his legacy.”
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River Tim Tebow Night to Shine gala for people with disabilities
