Volunteers are need for this year's Ohio Valley Night to Shine – a prom for the special needs community – which will take place Feb. 9 at the Moundsville Training Center. (Photos courtesy of Robin Seeber)

MOUNDSVILLE – Put on your dancing shoes — its time for the 2024 Ohio Valley Night to Shine!

The Night to Shine is a prom for the special needs community, sponsored nationally and internationally by the Tim Tewbow Foundation, and hosted locally by the Bowman United Methodist Church in Marshall County, led by Pastor Mike Piekarski.

Night to Shine is held annually the Friday before Valentines Day, and 2024 marks the 10-year anniversary of the event and the eighth for the Ohio Valley Night to Shine. This year’s event will take place on Feb. 9 at the Moundsville Training Center.

Kristi Crawford attends the Bowman UMC and had a desire to reach out and minister to the residence of the Ohio Valley. Doing research, she found the Tim Tebow Foundation and Night to Shine, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Crawford, Pastor Piekarski and the church of around 30 members dove into the project, and it has grown each year, becoming a major event in the valley for the special needs community as well as volunteers who make the event possible.

Volunteers are need for this year’s Ohio Valley Night to Shine – a prom for the special needs community – which will take place Feb. 9 at the Moundsville Training Center. (Photos courtesy of Robin Seeber)

The prom in 2023 was the first “live” prom after two years in the wake of the COVID pandemic, and last year’s event saw approximately 230 special guest and nearly double that amount of volunteers. The prom planning committee anticipates the guest number to reach 250 for 2024, and they are already working hard to make the 2024 prom unforgettable for everyone involved.

The prom date is Feb. 9, from 6-9 p.m. and is for guests ages 14 and older. It is centered on God’s love for the special needs community, celebrating them and showing them that they are special, uniquely made and loved. Many of the guests have never attended a prom, so the Ohio Valley Night to Shine is just for them. The prom isn’t just for teens — the eldest guest so far was an 81 year old gentleman.

As with any prom, the guests are treated to a catered dinner, flowers, professional prom photographs that are printed, framed and ready for the guests to take home that evening. They are announced as they enter the red carpet area, greeted by loving paparazzi telling them they are beautiful and they are loved. From there many stations are set up including a gift bag area, a gift table, a sweets treat table, a crafting area, a photo booth, karaoke room, selfie station, hair and make-up and shoe shine room.

Each guest may take a limousine ride, and when all of that is done, the dance floor becomes the focal area of the evening. Attendees love to dance, dance, dance, and the professional DJ keeps them going all night long, leading up to each guest being crowned the king or queen of the prom, receiving a crown or tiara. Every guest is given a “buddy” for the evening who stays with their guest all evening, assisting them in any way they need.

Volunteers are need for this year’s Ohio Valley Night to Shine – a prom for the special needs community – which will take place Feb. 9 at the Moundsville Training Center. (Photos courtesy of Robin Seeber)

The prom would not be possible without the tireless help of our volunteers. They include school organizations, local church youth groups, representatives of law enforcement agencies, EMS workers, vendors and more.

Each volunteer must attend a one-time mandatory training session, lasting less than one hour. The trainings will be held at the First Christian Church on Third Street in Moundsville. The training dates are scheduled for: 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7; 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15; 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21; and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 30. There will also be a training at the Cameron City Building at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14.

Anyone who would like to register as a guest or a volunteer can do so online at www.Ohiovallevnighttoshine.org.

The evening is provided for guests and volunteers at no charge and relies solely on donations through local churches, individuals, civic groups and county commissions. An endeavor this large is expensive to provide at no charge, and donations of any size are appreciated. Checks can be made out to the Ohio Valley Night to Shine and mailed to the Marshall County Federal Credit Union at 910 Third St., Moundsville, WV 26041. Donations can also be sent to OV Night to Shine c/o Janet Allen, 2398 Dowler Road, Moundsville, WV 26041.

New this year to help with costs, the Limestone Presbyterian Church will be sponsoring a soup dinner from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11. The public is invited to stop in for a delicious bowl of soup and homemade desserts and make a donation to the event. Limestone Presbyterian Church is located on U.S. 250 in Limestone, W.Va.

Anyone with questions regarding the Ohio Valley Night to Shine can contact organizers via email at ohiovallevnighttoshine@vahoo.com, or contact Janet Allen 304-650-4126, Lori Mason 304-238-8015 or Brenda Francis 304-639-3547.

Volunteers are need for this year’s Ohio Valley Night to Shine – a prom for the special needs community – which will take place Feb. 9 at the Moundsville Training Center. (Photos courtesy of Robin Seeber)