By Mike Finney

DOVER — There are so many individuals with special needs who volunteer to help with Code Purple Kent County and Maranatha Life Changing Church in Dover that Ennio Emmanuel knew he had to do something to recognize their efforts.

That’s why Mr. Emmanuel, president of Code Purple Kent County, decided to help put together a Virtual Night to Shine Prom Celebration and Shine-Thru Parade for people with special needs on Friday, Feb. 11, to join in on a worldwide celebration.

The event, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted by Maranatha Life Changing Church, will be held at the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware’s Banquet Hall at 1243 College Park Drive in Dover.

“This is the first one of these events that we’ve had in Dover,” Mr. Emmanuel said. “We’re really excited. The people in the special needs community are very important to me.

“Our community really got involved because we have Delaware Autism and Kaleidoscope, which are two organizations that work with special needs. They volunteer with the Maranatha Church and with Code Purple every week and over the years we have been working with them.

“I saw this opportunity as a way to give back to them because I didn’t know what to do to give back.”

The Night to Shine is a prom-night type experience, centered on God’s love, and will be celebrated by host churches around the world simultaneously on Feb. 11.

Mr. Emmanuel said there are already 35 special needs participants and around 100 volunteers who have already signed up for the event in Dover.

The celebration has been forced to adapt due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and will be a parade, as well as a virtual celebration.

“Due to COVID we’re doing a drive-thru,” Mr. Emmanuel said. “So, we will have lights and different photo opportunities, gift baskets, we’ll have greeters propping people up and saying, ‘You’re a king, or you’re a queen … we’re so happy that you’re here!’

“Then they can either drive through and get their pictures and their free gifts and then they can go home and watch a virtual celebration online, or they can also get out of the car, and we’ll have giveaways inside and some more opportunities for photos and a sensory room area if people want to relax. They can also go back and do the virtual celebration, as well.”

The Shine-Thru Parade will be taking place with guest arrival times scheduled for 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the COAD building in College Park.

The virtual Night to Shine will be a pre-recorded event hosted by Tim and Demi Tebow. It will include a virtual walk down the red carpet, karaoke, dancing, special guests and more – all leading up to the moment when every single honored guest will be crowned a king or queen of the prom.

“We can’t wait to be able to celebrate the honored guests of Night to Shine this year knowing how important this kind of joy and connection are,” Tim Tebow said, in a press release. “Yes, we’ve had to adjust as our heart is never to put anyone at risk and Night to Shine will look a little different, but that does not change how God is going to use it.

“He’s going to use it to celebrate lives because we’ll cheer for them driving down the red carpet, they’ll dance and sing, we’ll crown them as a king or queen, but more importantly, they’ll be loved, valued, and get to hear the good news of the Gospel.”

Heading into its eighth year, Night to Shine continues to impact individuals with special needs around the globe. The event launched in 2014 with 44 host churches and has grown to reach more than 110,000 honored guests with special needs through the commitment of more than 700 churches and 215,000 volunteers in all 50 states and 34 countries.

“I just knew I had to do something that was impactful for those who have special needs and this event through the Tim Tebow Foundation seemed like a good fit,” Mr. Emmanuel said.

For additional information on the Night to Shine in Dover individuals can reach Maranatha Life Changing Church at 302-734-9510 or by email at info@mlccde.org. Sign up information is available on Maranatha Life Changing Church’s website under the Night to Shine Tab at the top of the home page.