ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — After a two-year pause, a one-of-a-kind prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation returned to the Capital Region on February 10. The annual event called Night to Shine gives people with special needs the full celebrity treatment.

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albany began hosting the event in 2018, but the COVID pandemic put Night to Shine on the back burner for years. On February 10, 115 Capital Region residents living with special needs (ages 14 and older) and their dates—with the help of more than 240 volunteers—came together for the return of the event.

Elaine Pickett and her husband Don have been volunteering to host karaoke for the event since 2018. Their son, Donnie, looks forward to the yearly event for two reasons: dancing and singing with his friends.

“Night to Shine is my favorite night of the year,” said Tim Tebow, whose foundation has committed more than $3.5 million in financial support to enable hundreds of sites to host the event.  “It’s also a favorite night for thousands of kings and queens all over the world who we crown at the end of this prom. Every town, village, state, and country should host a Night to Shine for their special needs community. It’s a time in which people can work together and be a part of something significant and life-changing.”

Whether you want to volunteer, host, or attend “Night to Shine” in the future, you can find more details online. Since it began in 2015, more than 600 churches have hosted the event in 46 countries with tens of thousands of people attending.