Smiles shone at North Greenwood Baptist Church’s “A Night to Shine.”
The church hosted 98 guests Friday night for a prom event for members of the community with special needs. The prom included a banquet, live music and dancing, among other activities.
Guests were welcomed into the church’s Recreation Outreach Center by the Rev. Dr. Jim Phillips, pastor of the church, onto a red carpet. Cheerleaders from Pillow Academy and Carroll Academy and volunteers for the event cheered for the guests as they made their way along the red carpet to a picture station.
“This is not like the prom I had back in 1987. Thank you, Jesus!” guest Joie Fulton said during the banquet.
“I think I walked into a dream,” Catherine Austin, another guest, said as she exited a limousine onto the red carpet.
Kyle Brassell, associate pastor at the church, said Friday night, “I’m loving it. It’s been fun. We’ve watched videos, and from what I have been able to see, there is that same excitement from the guests, volunteers and families.”
Concurrently with the prom, the church hosted a banquet for caregivers.
Stephanie Edwards, who brought her daughter to the event, said she was pleased with it.
“It brings a lot of people together,” she said.
Faneshia Combs, who works with Life Help in Cleveland, said the prom showed the importance of involving everyone in the community and leaving nobody behind in celebrations.
“It makes life fun for all of us, and it’s exciting, too,” said Cynthia Phillips, the pastor’s wife. She was working the coat check and lost-and-found room alongside Pat Jones.
Miltinia Rasberry, who works for Life Help in Indianola, said she thought the prom “lets people with special needs know they’re important, too.”
“It makes them feel like they’re a part of everything alongside everyone else, to feel equal,” she explained.
“A Night to Shine” is a worldwide event promoted by the Tim Tebow Foundation, named after the Heisman Trophy-winning former NFL quarterback. This year, North Greenwood was able to be a host church for the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic had stalled two previous efforts.
The Tim Tebow Foundation provided partial grant funding to get the event going, and the community and church made up the difference for what turned out to be a close to $15,000 affair. Jim Phillips said he will apply for the same grant amount next year for a prom that is already planned for Feb. 9, 2024.
“I think everything went really, really well. I’ve had calls from parents and caregivers saying, ‘My brother/son/
nephew were over the top. I can’t wait until next year!’” Phillips said.
He said he was overwhelmed by the community’s support. “I think we had more volunteers than we could possibly use, but I wanted everyone to have a learning experience to make sure the event goes even more smoothly next year,” he said.
Friday’s event also featured trolley and limousine rides, a crowning ceremony for the prom guests, karaoke and photo opportunities. The night wound down with Greenwood City Councilman Johnny Jennings, who served as DJ, taking music requests from those on the dance floor.
“Can the person who’s having the most fun make some noise?” Jennings asked the room, which erupted with cheers. “Thanks for making the night shine,” he told the guests before starting another song.
- Contact Katherine Parker at 662-581-7239 or kparker@gwcommonwealth.com.
