By Wayne Gates
It was a “Night to Shine” once again on Feb. 8 for some Brown County residents who made the most of their time in the spotlight.
The Tim Tebow Foundation sponsored the annual event which allowed developmentally disabled guests to feel like a king or queen for a few hours.
The participants were treated to a day of pampering by the Cosmetology students at Southern Hills Career and Technical Center before they hit the red carpet at the Georgetown Church of Christ.
There, they entered one by one to applause from those gathered to watch the grand entrance making their way to the church gym for a meal prepared and served by volunteers.
After the meal, they hit the dance floor to bust a move or two and then each one was crowned as a king or queen.
Prior to the dance, Brown County Prosecuting Attorney Zac Corbin spoke to the approximately 400 participants, honored guests, chaperones and volunteers.
As he spoke about the life of Tim Tebow and the spiritual nature of the gathering, a young man on a walker and wearing a helmet began to approach the middle of the room.
Corbin continued to speak, not realizing that the young man was behind him. As Corbin began to talk about the presence of God in everyone, he turned and saw the young man who was watching him closely.
As Corbin continued to speak, the young man reached out and gently took Corbin’s hand, held it for a while and then lifted it to his mouth and kissed it. Corbin paused for a couple of seconds and then simply said “Thank you.”
Afterwards, Corbin reflected on the moment.
“It was amazing. He was looking at me and just beaming and then he grabbed me and kissed my hand. I’ll never forget that. Moments like that can change you forever.”
Volunteer Amie Maxfield also said the experience is one that she will remember for a long time.
“I was blessed and completely honored to be a part of something so great tonight. Not only did I get to be in a God filled environment but I got to see many smiles and something that may seem so little to others be so big to some very special people. Tonight was completely wonderful,” said Maxfield.
15 year old Lexi Mingua was decked out in a bright green dress when she walked down the red carpet.
“I’m having a lot of fun. This is my second time coming here,” she said,
“It was great it made it feel like epilepsy didn’t matter.”
Amanda Stout brought her 16 year old son Reece out to shine.
“He’s definitely getting a lot of excitement out of it. He’s definitely very happy to be here and it just gives him the opportunity to associate with his peers. It’s a way for him and others to be able to open up in their own little way,” she said.
Bill Knott served as a chaperone for his sister-in-law Anna Weldishofer.
“A lot of folks that have developmental disabilities don’t really get the opportunities that people who are “normal” get, such going out to events like this. I think it’s a wonderful thing that Tim Tebow does through his foundation to give people like those here a night to shine,” he said.
“It gives a sense of belonging to the guests and they see they are not alone. Seeing people like themselves having fun gives them a sense of normalcy.”
Church member Jeff Case helped spend about three days setting the church up for the event. He said all the work was worth it as he saw the participants make their grand entrance.
“All the smiles on the faces of the kids coming down the red carpet were great. Right here I can see a little girl in a wheelchair with a big smile and having a great time,” he said.
Committee member Jennifer Bohrer was also very pleased with how Night To Shine 2019 unfolded.
“I was overwhelmed by the amount of love I felt in that room. It’s not just a dance, it’s not just a prom, it’s a spiritual event,” she said.
“It’s worth every second everyone has spent on it. All the hard work was it worth it. From what I hear from all the guests is that the event is the highlight of their year.”
Attendee Sheri Whisman Gartner shared a post on Facebook after the event that seemed to sum up the evening.
“Tonight they weren’t left out. Tonight, they weren’t stared at for the wrong reasons. Tonight they weren’t ignored. Tonight they weren’t passed over. Tonight they weren’t excluded.
Tonight they were catered to. Tonight they were loved. Tonight they were celebrated. Tonight they were put on a pedestal. Tonight they were included.”
