New Braunfels’ Tree of Life Church is sending out a special Valentine’s Day invitation to special-needs teenagers and adults of all ages.
The church will sponsor its first Night to Shine prom from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. The event is free and open to anyone with special needs in the greater New Braunfels area who is 14 years and older. There is no age limit.
Due to COVID-19, caretakers and special-needs individuals will have their names announced as they drive through the parking lot, passing through various stations all celebrating Valentine’s Day.
“We’re essentially loving on them and celebrating them,” said Tree of Life Executive Pastor Eric Gonzalez. “The whole point of it is they do it on Valentine’s Day weekend with purpose because often times individuals with special needs get left out on that holiday. We’re demonstrating God’s love towards those with special needs.”
Night to Shine is the brainchild of the Tim Tebow Foundation, which sparked the worldwide movement while thinking of ways to celebrate its five-year anniversary in 2015.
Over 100,000 people with special needs participate annually.
“Night to Shine, a prom centered on God’s love for people with special needs held simultaneously around the world on the Friday before Valentine’s Day each year, is not just an event but an invitation into a community that values, honors and supports people with special needs and their families,” according to TimTebowFoundation.org.
The church is located at 5513 I-35, New Braunfels.
