Night to Shine Returns to College of the Ozarks

A special Prom event returns to College of the Ozarks last week.

The full details below from C of O Public Relations:

College of the Ozarks hosted its annual Night to Shine event, in conjunction with the Tim Tebow Foundation in the Silver Dollar City Parlor at The Keeter Center. Night to Shine is a worldwide movement, celebrating God’s love for people with special needs.

The prom-like event provided an evening to remember for 99 guests with special needs from Stone and Taney counties. More than 250 College of the Ozarks faculty, staff, and students volunteered — helping with hair and makeup, shining shoes, cheering for the guests as they entered on the red carpet, and serving as “buddies” or chaperones for the entire evening. 

Night to Shine was back in person for the first time in two years.

“We were thrilled to finally host Night to Shine in person at The Keeter Center once again,” said Dr. Justin Carswell, vice president for Christian ministries and dean of the chapel. “Getting to see all of the people who came, volunteered, and enjoyed the evening together was truly a blessing.”

Carver Boldman, senior engineering major, was paired with Steven Bowman. This was Bowman’s sixth year attending night to shine. 

“It’s a special night because it’s his sixth time here, and he loves coming because it is a joyful reunion,” Boldman said. “Night to Shine is a time for him to relax and enjoy dancing with his old friends. The best part of the night was figuring out how similar Steven and I are. From being able to quote the same movies, to busting moves on the dance floor, we had a blast!”

Natalie Nichols, senior child studies major, was paired with Jenny Gillespie. This was Nichols’ first time volunteering at Night to Shine. 

“I had never heard of Night to Shine before coming to College of the Ozarks,” Nichols said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to get involved and meet new people. My favorite part of the night was walking down the red carpet with Jenny. It was so exciting with everyone cheering, and she was smiling the whole time.”

Sandy Miller, director of Barnabas Prep, brought 30 guests to the event this evening. After two years of hosting the event at their own facility, the guests were excited to return to The Keeter Center at College of the Ozarks.

“This was our first time back in two years,” Miller said. “Even though we held the event on our campus, this is special. The attention our guests receive as they are each hosted by a C of O student, or buddy, is phenomenal. Even for our caregivers to have a night like this is a respite for them.”

Kings and queens of the prom

After the special guests were pampered with VIP treatment in the Welcome Center, they rode in limousines to The Keeter Center. Crowds of cheering students welcomed them as they walked on a red carpet to the ballroom.

Guests for this year’s invitation-only Night to Shine event were chosen with the help of several agencies in Taney and Stone counties that provide services to people with special needs. 

Night to Shine launched in 2015 with 44 host churches and 15,000 volunteers honoring more than 7,000 kings and queens of the prom. In February 2020, 721 host churches and 215,000 volunteers came together to celebrate 110,000 honored guests with special needs.  Over the past two years, Night to Shine innovated and endured through the pandemic with the first-ever virtual Night to Shine, celebrating thousands of honored guests through unique adaptations including a complete virtual video experience and socially distanced Shine Thru drive-thru events. 
Participating agencies included the following:

•    Barnabas Prep
•    Chances of Stone County
•    LinkAbility
•    New Hope Development/Cedar Creek Coffee