I am not much of a professional sports fan; I take note when New England teams win as the happiness level in my house, town, state and region goes up a notch or two, but I would be hard pressed to name many of the athletes. However, I have become a huge fan of one professional athlete who has made it his mission to create a night of joy for individuals with special needs called “Night to Shine.” You might know Tim Tebow as a gifted athlete, but, in this parent’s view, his greatest gift is his huge heart, a gift that has led him to create an organization that hosts Night to Shine events across the country and around the world with the goal to love and celebrate people, like my son, who would never consider attending their school prom.
I must confess, last year when the first Night to Shine event was held in my state, I dismissed the idea of having Micah attend, thinking he would be overwhelmed by a prom like event. But this year, when the email invitation arrived, I remembered back to when I married a few years back, and Micah, much to my astonishment, was happy to be drawn out on the dance floor by his older brother’s date. Not only was he rocking back and forth to the music, but he was smiling and enjoying the other guests as they circled around him while he dominated the dance floor with his funky dance moves. His older brother Ian noted that Micah did always have an eye for the pretty ladies, so why should I be surprised?
So when the invite came, I not only signed Micah up, but decided that I would ask for a buddy to be assigned as his date for the night, because the reality is that his older brothers would have been mortified if I was their date for their prom, and it seemed likely Micah would share the same sentiment if he had a choice. It did help to know that the church that was organizing the event, Orchard Christian, was known to me as a positive loving community and their preparation for the event seemed well orchestrated.
Orchard Christian Church volunteers invited all guests to come and “shop” for an outfit for the prom about three weeks before the event, and I decided to take Micah there to check out what they had as he generally does not like new clothing and I did not want to purchase a suit for him if he was only going to tolerate it for a short period of time. When we arrived on shopping day, the entire room was filled with prom dresses, suits, shirts, ties etc. The volunteers greeted us warmly and I was able to find a nice suit jacket and shirt that Micah agreed to try on and did not immediately insist on taking right off. I showed him a few ties that I thought would go with his jacket and he readily chose one that was very similar to a tie that his father had years before. Micah’s father died when Micah was just 14 so his choice of tie brought a smile that his son was carrying on his fashion tradition. When I offered to pay for the items chosen, I was told that all of the clothing had been donated to help make the night special for their guests. Thus, the only purchase we needed to make was for dress pants to go with his black sneakers which would complete his attire.
As the night of the event drew near, I became increasingly concerned that sending Micah into an environment where he knew no one for two hours was a crazy idea. I drew comfort from the fact that the planners had a room set aside for parents to wait in during the prom, and that we would be contacted if our son or daughter needed us. The planners were very clear that we were not to leave that room until the end of the prom unless they came to get us.
February 8th found Micah looking dapper in his new clothes, but with a mother who had no clue how to tie his neck tie. Fortunately for Micah, his brother Ben rescued him by fixing the tie before we headed to Manchester Christian Church where Night to Shine was held. There was a bit of confusion when we first arrived, and Micah waited with a number of other guests while they matched the guests with their buddies for the evening, and I found my anxiety for Micah beginning to increase as it seemed like there might not be enough buddies for all of the guests, but then we were introduced to Abigail, who with a bright smile greeted Micah and asked him if he was ready to join the fun. I tagged behind as she asked him about having his shoes shined, but when I pointed out he was wearing his black sneakers, she suggested that they start the night by going on a ride in the limousine. The hardest part of the night was when he headed out the door to the limo with Abigail and looked back at me with a questioning glance as I just waved but did not follow. At a loss of what to do next, I headed downstairs to find the room set aside for waiting parents.
Our hosts had graciously provided dinner for those of us waiting and I was relieved to see some parents that I knew who were also doing their best to act like it was the most natural thing in the world to wait one floor down from where part of our heart was hopefully, prayerfully, having a wonderful experience. I must confess, that against orders, I took a stroll upstairs with another parent, just to do a quick check on my son. (Yes, alas, I was THAT parent). We were quickly noticed, and they were kind enough to let us have peek into the decorated room, but I could not locate Micah before I was gently, yet firmly escorted back down to the stairs leading to the parents’ waiting area.
When it was finally time to go up to locate Micah, Abigail filled me in on the night’s activities which included dinner, dancing, and two limo rides. Micah was relaxed and happy and the photos Abigail shared evidenced that the night was more than I could have hoped for him. Thanks to Tim Tebow, lovely Abigail, and the many volunteers who planned each detail so carefully; a magical event blessed 125 guests as well as those who love them. What is even more amazing is that this event was replicated across the country, bringing joy to thousands of others at the same time.
There are not adequate words to share my thanks to Tim Tebow and his legions of caring volunteers who make Night to Shine such a wonderful event. They are ambassadors of healing in a world much in need of their example. With deep thanks on behalf of those richly blessed by your gift of the Night to Shine.
Jan Lessard Peightell
February 28, 2019