Night to Shine offers prom for people with special needs

The 5th annual Night To Shine Prom will be Friday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Trussville Civic Center. Hosted by CrossPoint Church, the complimentary formal event is centered around faith and is open to individuals with special needs ages 14 and older. 

A friendly crowd and paparazzi greet each guest upon red carpet entry. Guests have access to hair and makeup stations, shoe shine areas, limousine rides, corsages, boutonnieres and swag bags filled with party favors. The evening concludes with each guest being crowned as king or queen of the prom. 

Carrie Jones is the founder of Independence Place of Alabama and will serve as the event organizer on behalf of CrossPoint. 

“Attendance tripled from about 75 guests the first year to 250 guests last year. We’re anticipating about 300 guests this year,” Jones said. 

Family members of guests will have access to a second story observation area, as well as a family respite room with refreshments. To offer the experience in a smaller environment, a sensory aversion room is also available. 

“Some guests may feel overwhelmed by the lights, crowd and people. The sensory aversion room will allow them to enjoy the social aspects of the event in a way that is comfortable for them,” Jones said.

CrossPoint is one of an anticipated 700 host churches for the simultaneous global event, which was launched in 2015 by the Tim Tebow Foundation. 

Guest registration is required by Feb. 3 via crosspointchurch.info. The site also offers volunteer registration and donation information.