Press "Enter" to skip to content

Students Volunteer to Make an Unforgettable Night

BY HELEN FLORES
STAFF WRITER

Students volunteered for the Night to Shine event which took place at Church Unleashed on Friday, Feb. 7. Night to Shine is an annua levent hosted by the Tim Tebow Foundation, celebrating the lives of people with special needs and how unique they are.

The field hockey and football teams volunteered to help at the event. Most were “buddies,” who spent the night with a guest as their date, while some were a part of the welcoming committee.

“It was amazing. I paired with a boy named Peter and it was such a fun night,” Michaela Zabicki, a sophomore sports management major, said. “We danced the night away, had a great dinner and had some nice conversations about our interests and hobbies.”

The church had a wide range of activities guests could enjoy such as karaoke, pet therapy, shoe shining for the gentlemen, and makeup and hair for the ladies.

“The event was great,” Rachel Vellis, a junior criminal justice major said. “Spending just a
few hours hanging out with them made them and their parents [or] caregivers so happy, and it also changed my life because it really put into perspective how lucky we really are.”

Like most proms, Night to Shine featured a crowning ceremony to award the titles of prom king and queen, but with a slight twist. In this prom, all of the guests were crowned kings and queens. Their reactions and emotions were full of excitement and joy.

This wasn’t the first time freshman special education major Alexis Ruiz volunteered for
an event like this, but it was just as rewarding.

“There’s nothing better than taking time out of your day [and] being there for others,” Ruiz said. “They are uniquely designed by God, and they deserve to feel as special as we do.”

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *