Tim Tebow is an awesome guy regardless of what he does on the football field. The ESPN college football analyst made dreams come true for more than 7,000 people with special needs around the globe.
Feb. 13 was prom night for the more than 7,000 people with special needs, courtesy of the Tim Tebow Foundation.
The charity sponsored 44 simultaneous Night to Shine proms in 26 states, as well as locations in Uganda and Kenya. Local churches did much of the organizing, aided by the Tebow Foundation.
The Tim Tebow Foundation has a great passion for people with special needs, and to celebrate the foundation’s 5-year anniversary, we launched an initiative to create Night to Shine proms in up to 50 different cities across the nation.
This nationwide event took place on February 13, 2015, simultaneously at participating churches across the country. Each prom included special elements, consisting of a red carpet entrance with paparazzi, limousine rides, hair and makeup beauty stations, shoeshines, a dance floor, food and much more. At least 100 people with special needs were in attendance at each church for this nationwide event.
Please help us make this an annual event as we continue to fulfill our mission to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.
Tebow first flew to Kernersville, North Carolina, to show up – unannounced – at one of the proms.
After enjoying the crowd for an hour, he flew to Simpsonville, South Carolina, to surprise another group. He escorted kids down the red carpet, posed for pictures, and even shined a few shoes.
Tebow said the event was more than “just glamour and glitter;” it was an opportunity to provide a special night for people with special needs – people who often have few opportunities to dress up for a fancy event. Tebow and his team were frequently moved to tears as families recounted their struggles and experiences.
“When you simply spend time together,” Tebow tells PEOPLE, “you can begin to turn statistics into stories.”