The Church at Depot will be hosting a prom for people with special needs this Friday.

People with special needs will be able to experience prom Friday at 6 p.m. as part of a Night to Shine at Church at the Depot.

Night to Shine, a prom night experience for people with special needs is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Church at the Depot is one of over 540 churches participating in Night to Shine from around the world coming together to put on the prom for 90,000 guests, according to the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Night to Shine is described by the foundation as “an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs ages fourteen and older.” The event is a complimentary experience and comes at no cost to the child or their family.

At Church at the Depot’s Night to Shine, they are then paired with a “buddy” for the evening, Matt Davis, staff pastor, said. Guests then get pampered, including hair and makeup, shoe shining, corsages and boutonnieres, dinner and dancing. Each guest also gets a ride in a limousine.

Then, upon entering the building, each guest gets a personal introduction while walking on the red carpet. They also receive a crown/tiara and each guest is crowned king or queen of the prom.

“Our guests love dancing the night away and being celebrated with the balloon drop towards the end of the night,” Davis said.

The church’s first Night to Shine occurred in 2015, which included 75 guests. Three years later, the guest list has grown by 90. Over 250+ volunteers are registered to assist with the event.

“We anticipate the number of guests going up a little bit more as Friday approaches,” Davis said. “In addition to the number of participants growing, we believe the heart of our event has grown in those that participate each year as people from all over our area come together to show love, express dignity and give value to our guests and their families.”

Those interested in registering a guest for the event can do so at http://www.churchatthedepot.com/night-to-shine/.

Ginny Blake can be contacted at [email protected].