Night to Shine guest Tim, right, dances with buddy Lauryn during the 2025 Night to Shine at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — A night with all the bells and whistles of prom night for persons with special needs ages 14 and older is set for Feb. 13 with two Quad-City area locations. Night to Shine is underwritten by the Tim Tebow Foundation and local donors.
In Iowa, St. John Vianney Parish in Bettendorf will host Night to Shine for the second year in a row at St. Ambrose University’s Rogalski Center in Davenport. In Illinois, Heritage Church in Rock Island will sponsor and host that event.
Chris McCormick Pries, organizer for the Iowa Night to Shine for the second year, said last year was a huge success. More slots are open this year at both sites for guests, but fill up in less than two days, she noted.
All Night to Shine sites are required to host a dance, meal, red carpet entrance, paparazzi, limo rides, karaoke, hair and makeup station, shoe shines, photo booths, boutonnieres and flowers, a respite room and sensory room. In addition, the Tim Tebow Foundation provides gift bags and each host site fills them with various items to give participants.
McCormick Pries said the Davenport location also hosts a candy bar. Requests after last year’s event asked for a corn hole game, crafts and balloon artists. “If I have people come forward, we will make this happen.”
But to provide this special night, volunteers are needed, McCormick Pries said.
Buddies are paired up with each honored guest for the entire night. “So we need 150 right there,” she noted. Buddies do not feed their guest, help them in the restroom or give medication. If a guest needs assistance, that is provided by caregivers. A buddy’s job is to have fun with their guest.
Besides buddies, there are people needed to staff all the required and additional parts of the evening. McCormick Pries also needs greeters, registration table volunteers, floaters to fill in spots or offer extra assistance, food service and more. Each grouping has a committee with a chairperson. A mix of professionals and non-professionals are needed to fill all the positions.
“This is a beautiful, joyful event,” McCormick Pries said. “It’s an honor to host this special event.”
Last year was the first time Night to Shine was separated into two, smaller sites. In previous years it was at one site and hosted around 500 special guests, McCormick Pries said.
By hosting smaller groups the event has less chance of overstimulation and offers shorter lines. Since last year was the first at St. Ambrose, McCormick Pries made some adjustments. There will be more limo rides and the karaoke room will be much larger. “It was a big hit.”
She noted the respite room allows caregivers and parents to meet with others and find support and reassurance. “This is a fabulous event.”
After guests arrive and are gathered together, the evening opens with prayer by a local clergy member and a video message from Tim Tebow who emphasizes how special each and every person is and that this is their night. As the night winds down, various beauty queens crown each special guest, McCormick Pries said. “They are all kings and queens.”
Training is required for all volunteers ahead of time, McCormick Pries said. The first part is learning about the special needs community, how to deal with any difficulties, crisis or medical events that may arise. Then volunteers break down for training within their specialty area.
For more information and to see pictures from the 2025 event, visit qcnight2shine.org (the Illinois site is nighttoshinequadcities-illinois.com). Registration for guests and to volunteer at the Iowa event opens after Thanksgiving. For specific questions, email qcnight2shine@gmail.com
