Night to Shine guest Lisa Takemoto and her buddy make their red carpet entrance at this year’s Night to Shine, held Feb. 13 at St. Ambrose University’s Rogalski Center in Davenport.
By Barb Arland-Fye
For The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Colored lights pulsated in tandem with upbeat music as promgoers and their buddies danced to their heart’s content in St. Ambrose University’s Rogalski Center during Night to Shine, a prom for people with special needs.
Two-hundred promgoers ages 14 and older, buddies who were paired with them, and other volunteers filled the center with exuberance, setting aside their cares and challenges to shine the light on fun, friendship and God’s unconditional love.
“One night like this just calms all the madness in the world,” said Kaylen Abrahamsen, a senior at St. Ambrose University in Davenport and a student coordinator for the Night to Shine event held Feb. 13. Volunteering for four years with Night to Shine and her work with Special Olympics has inspired her to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Disability Studies at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, she said. “I feel called to be an advocate.”
Tim Tebow Foundation sponsored the Iowa Quad Cities Night to Shine, hosted by St. John Vianney Parish-Bettendorf and St. Ambrose University. Nearly 1,000 churches hosted Night to Shine events across the United States and in 76 countries this year.
Chris McCormick Pries of St. John Vianney Parish coordinated the event with the assistance of fellow parishioner Debra Elmer and other volunteers. “This event is worth every minute of planning that has gone into it over the last several months,” said McCormick Pries, who paused for 35 seconds to respond to a question before zipping back into the crowd of guests and volunteers. “It’s worth every challenge, it’s worth every roadblock we run into. It all works out. It all works out in the end, and we are so pleased to be able to honor this group of vivacious, joyful, wonderful, compassionate individuals. We love them!”
Red carpet experience
Promgoers began their night with a red-carpet entrance, smiles lighting their faces as emcee Tim Knipper introduced each one, describing their personalities from preprinted cards that volunteers Jim and Teresa Anderson handed to him.
“Kevin loves laughing and having fun!” Knipper exclaimed. “Ben is excited to be attending his third Night to Shine and is joined by his favorite sister, Katy!” … “Maggie is a Special Olympics track star! She loves Harry Potter, is a Star Wars fan, and is a lover of butterflies!”
Knipper, originally scheduled to be a buddy, agreed to his last-minute emcee assignment after the designated emcee’s car broke down in Des Moines. “If they ask me back (as emcee), I’ll do it,” he said enthusiastically during a momentary lull for red carpet entrances. “If not, I’ll be a buddy.”
Jim and Teresa Anderson, members of Our Lady of the River Parish in LeClaire, led the red-carpet detail — which included volunteers with pompoms cheering on the guests. The promgoers’ grand entrance “makes them feel really special,” Teresa Anderson said.
Among the cheerleaders were Sabrina Schmelzer, 16, and Molly Dolan, 18, both students at Assumption High School in Davenport. “I felt really called to serve my community,” Dolan said. Schmelzer said a friend who volunteered at Night to Shine and said it was fun. Asked if she was enjoying her volunteer experience, Schmelzer responded, “Oh yeah!”
The red-carpet entrance was one of many activities for promgoers to choose from and the printed program guide encouraged them to “HAVE MORE FUN!!!”
Crowning glory
In the Hair, Makeup and Shoe Shine room, promgoer Evan Wright watched as his girlfriend, Demi Ahaya had her hair styled by Lillia Scheeper, a student at Capri College in Davenport. Wright said he encouraged his girlfriend to have her hair done. Night to Shine provided a good reason to do so. When Scheeper finished, Wright thanked her and escorted his girlfriend to the door, anticipating more shining moments ahead.
Promgoer Christian Malli and his buddy, Mary Huber, an Assumption High student, enjoyed quiet and boisterous activities — from card games to dancing with gusto in the ballroom — and the night’s crowning event. Each promgoer was crowned by one of the pageant queen volunteers. “It’s truly amazing,” Huber said. “Everyone just uplifts each other all night.”
Miss Iowa, Lydia Fisher was among the crowning queens. “It’s a beautiful night. You can’t help but think back to your own prom,” she said afterwards. Crowning the promgoers made the night “even more special.”
Prior to the crowning, Bishop Dennis Walsh of the Diocese of Davenport blessed the gathering, beginning with a memorable story, which shaped his prayer and reinforced Tim Tebow’s video message that followed.
The blessed
Bishop Walsh reflected on a 2004 movie titled “The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie,” the story of a mother (considered crazy by some) with two sons who had mental disabilities and were being bullied by neighborhood kids. A school counselor assigned Charlie, one of the bullies, to duty in Mrs. Ritchie’s garden. Charlie discovered kindness, compassion, innocence and purity in Mrs. Ritchie’s home, the bishop said. “Things that were completely absent from Charlie’s life.”
Mrs. Ritchie invited Charlie to join the family for lunch, during which she prayed: “Lord, we give thanks for our disabilities, for they keep us from the sins of the world. They keep us from being mean; they keep us from being proud, and they keep us from being hateful. We thank thee for keeping us pure.”
“In a world that, in its blindness, can only see brokenness, our disabilities help us to see our blessings,” Bishop Walsh said. Mrs. Ritchie realizes that “in her sons, they have an incredible capacity to love.”
Charlie did not have a mental or physical disability but realized that he had his own brokenness and blindness, the bishop said. “Where the world sees brokenness, may we always see our blessings.”
Passing the baton
St. John Vianney Parish in Bettendorf is unable to serve as the host church for next year’s Iowa Quad Cities Night to Shine. As a result, McCormick Pries, will not reprise her role as leading coordinator of the event. “It’s time for another church to take a look at leading it,” McCormick Pries said. “I would love to work with whoever will take it over. I’m available to mentor whoever is coming on as chair.” The new leader will be able to enjoy the tremendous support of volunteers who return each year, she said. Please contact McCormick Pries at qcnight2shine@gmail.com or chrispries849@gmail.com.
