In 2014, the Tim Tebow Foundation began hosting Night to Shine, providing a prom night experience for people with special needs. At the time, Joell Ketcham's son was graduating from high school. "He attended his school's prom and the IU 13 prom, and I said to his aide, 'We need to do something like this once people are out of school,'" Ketcham recalled. She reached out to the foundation and started the work to bring the program to Lancaster County.

This year's Night to Shine will be held in two parts. A Shine-Thru Parade will be held on Thursday, Feb. 10, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at LCBC Manheim, 2392 Mount Joy Road, Manheim, followed by an at-home virtual experience on Friday, Feb. 11, beginning at 6 p.m.

The event is open to anyone with special needs age 14 and older. "This is completely free to participants," Ketcham stated. "When they arrive at the parade, they'll get a name tag to put on their vehicle, and they get a swag bag. Volunteers will put things in their bag as the guests go through the route and they'll get to meet different characters. ... It's a surprise which characters we will have there."

At the parade, participants will also pick up a boxed dinner to prepare during the virtual event. "They get everything from the food to full place settings for a nice dinner," Ketcham explained, adding that people can enjoy it while watching a livestreamed presentation.

"We encourage everyone to dress up on Friday," she said. "We want them to make the at-home experience as fun as possible. They can dress up fancy. They can have a pajama party. They can have a themed night - whatever they'd like to do." At the end of the livestream, participants will be treated to a dance party and a variety of giveaways will be offered, with items including gift cards and gift baskets.

Typically, Night to Shine is held in person, but due to the pandemic, organizers have switched to a virtual format for the past two years. Before the pandemic, the event had grown from 67 guests the first year to more than 350 in 2020.

Ketcham said Night to Shine has exceeded her expectations over the years. "Everything is done by donation, and I truly believe if this is something God wants to happen, He'll provide the money for it," she remarked. "And He always does."

She emphasized that Night to Shine organizers are still looking for volunteers as well as donations of items. "The more the merrier," she said. "It's a fun night for everyone."

For more information, and to register or to donate to Night to Shine, visit https://lcbcchurch.com/nighttoshine.