MOUNDSVILLE — The Ohio Valley is gearing up for Night to Shine 2025, when special guests from all over the valley — ages 14 and up — come together to experience their favorite night of the year.

Night to Shine is a worldwide event held annually the Friday before Valentine’s Day. This year’s event will be held from 6 -9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at the Moundsville Training Center on Eighth Street in Moundsville.

The Night to Shine is a prom for the special needs community, sponsored worldwide by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted locally this year, for the first time, by the Limestone Presbyterian Church. The past 10 years this local favorite has been hosted by the Bowman United Methodist Church, as member Kristi Crawford had a vision of being able to develop an outreach program that would spread the word of God throughout the community. After hearing about Night to Shine and the Tim Tebow Foundation, she and her fellow church members knew this was a much needed program for the Ohio Valley.

Night to Shine is all about spreading the love of God and celebrating the special needs community, showing them that they are uniquely made and very much loved. Many of these guests have never had the prom experience, so this night is magical, and seeing it through their eyes is very hard to describe, organizers said.

As with any prom, the guests are treated to a catered dinner, corsages or boutonnieres, gift bags and professional photos that are printed, framed and ready for the guests to take home that night. Each guest’s arrival is announced as they walk the red carpet to the cheering of paparazzi. They have the opportunity to visit various stations throughout the evening with their “buddy” volunteers including hair and makeup / shoe shine room, crafting area, gift table, sweets treats table, photo booth, selfie station, the always popular limo ride, a very busy karaoke room and of course the main event, the dance. As soon as the DJ starts the music, the dance floor is the place to be. Guests will be dancing shoulder-to-shoulder for the remainder of the evening until it’s time to crown each of the guests king or queen of the prom, with a crown or tiara of their very own.

Locally there has been an increase in the number of guests who attend every year. Last year, there were more than 250 guests registered. The increase of the number of guests also means the need for more and more volunteers to help make this the huge success it has always been. A volunteer must be at 14 years of age. The prom would not be possible without the tireless help of the many dedicated volunteers. They include community members, high school students, college students, school organizations, local churches and youth groups, representatives of law enforcement agencies, EMS workers,vendors and more.

All volunteers must attend a one-time mandatory training session, lasting less than one hour. Student trainings may be scheduled at a volunteer’s high school or college. Trainings for all others will be held at the First Christian Church on the corner of Third and Grant streets in Moundsville. Training dates at the First Christian Church are scheduled for the following dates: 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5; 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7; 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12; 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14; and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19.

Additional training sessions will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at United Methodist Church in Elm Grove; 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at West Liberty University’s Boyle Conference Room; and at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Cameron High School.

The evening is provided at no charge, and organizers rely solely on donations through individuals, local churches and organizations, civic groups and county commissions. All donations are very much appreciated. Checks can be made out to Ohio Valley Night to Shine and mailed to the Marshall County Federal Credit Union at 910 Third St., Moundsville, WV 26041 or Ohio Valley Night to Shine in care of Janet Allen, 2398 Dowler Road, Moundsville WV 26041.

A new feature this year to the event’s website is the addition of a link to an Amazon wish list. If anyone would like to make a donation of a particular item, website visitors can click to donate.

A fundraising soup supper is planned to take place from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Limestone Presbyterian Church, located on U.S. 250 in Limestone. The public is invited to stop in and enjoy a variety of delicious homemade soups and desserts for a free will donation.

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

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