A prom of their own: Special needs men, women celebrated at Night to Shine

Girls wore sparkly dresses. Boys sported freshly-pressed suits and ties.

Under the twinkling lights of the gymnasium at New Hope Ministries in East Naples, a fashionable bunch danced together without a care in the world at Night to Shine. The event, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, is a global prom experience for individuals 14 and older with varying degrees of disabilities.

Hairspray and excitement were in the air as many of the girls were prettied-up at makeup and hair stations, an hour before walking down a red carpet to prom.

Jennifer Williams, 25, of Lehigh Acres, excitedly sat down and let a hairstylist twist her hair into a romantic updo.

Her mom, Darla Williams, who described her daughter as mentally challenged, snapped photos as makeup was applied on her daughter's fair skin.

"She loves this. She's a girly girl," Darla Williams said.

Prom is often seen as a rite of passage for high school students.

However, her daughter never got the chance, so Darla Williams was determined to give her this gift.

"They deserve the opportunities that any other adult or kid gets to experience in school," she added.

New Hope Ministries was one of 375 churches in 50 states and 10 countries participating in Night to Shine on Feb. 10, honoring 75,000 kings and queens of the prom with the help of 150,000 volunteers, according to a press release from Night to Shine.

More than 100 guests from Collier and Lee counties were accompanied by a buddy, or volunteer, who they met that night to dance and have fun with.

Once guests and their buddies walked down a red carpet complete with a cheering crowd and paparazzi, parents parted ways with their children, and walked over to a room parallel to the gym. There, parents, like Darla Williams, found piece of mind as they monitored their children on two large screens playing footage of the prom.

"They even provide dinner and massages," she said.

"We are honored to be able to work with so many churches across the country and around the world to impact the lives of people with special needs," said Erik Dellenback, executive director of the Tim Tebow Foundation. "After such as amazing response to the first two years of Night to Shine, our prayer is that this event will continue to change the face of Valentine's Day weekend from simply a celebration of love, to a celebration of God's love for people with special needs."

A similar Valentine's dance event for the developmentally disabled was held that Friday at

Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Naples, hosted by the Naples Civitan Club for the 28th year.

Night to Shine's main goal was "to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need," wrote Tim Tebow, New York Mets baseball player and former football star, on his website.

Night to Shine guests enjoyed a bright day of dancing, shooting basketball hoops, doing arts and crafts, and getting crowned kind and queen of the prom.

Parker Demirco, 13, wasn't shy to let his light shine.

He was one of the first on the dance floor, break dancing and more, as guests cheered him on, including his buddy, Charlotte Warner.

"He's a gentleman. He's only 13. He's a fantastic basketball player," Warner said.

This isn't Warner's first prom. She was a buddy before at her church in Maine.

"The reward is priceless," Warner added.

Demirco's favorite part of prom was seeing all his teachers from ABLE Academy at Golden Gate Parkway rooting for him as he danced up a storm.

After finishing his solo, he held out his hand to Warner.

"Let's dance," he said.

She nodded yes, and followed him out onto the dance floor.