Bridgeway Church brings first Night to Shine event to Starkville
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a special night to celebrate the special needs community, a big party with paparazzi, crowns, limos, dancing, and red carpets.
Bridgeway Church is bringing the very first Night to Shine event to Starkville, and members of the church tell me this has always been a dream of theirs.
Everyone deserves a night to shine. That’s why locals decided to bring the Night to Shine event to Starkville for the very first time.
“It’s a night to honor those individuals with special needs who have often been overlooked, and to celebrate them and help them understand that they have so much worth,” said worship leader at Bridgeway Church, Arey Hill.
While this was important to the whole group, for Arey Hill, it’s personal.
Hill is a mother to a 3-year-old with Down syndrome. She said she has always prayed that her church could be a place that welcomes the special needs community.
“This has been kind of a heart for our church, and we started having a lot of special needs students come from Mississippi State, ACCESS students,” said Co-Pastor Grant Arinder. “So the inspiration was these college students who came to me and said, ‘Pastor, we really want to put on a Night to Shine in Starkville.'”
Some members helping organize the event said they hope the idea to bring the event to Starkville inspires even more outreach.
“My hope is that the community will see the value and worth these people bring to our community, and that they will celebrate them for who they are and not just define them by their disability,” said member Marlie Jones.
“I just hope it kind of shines a light to just show the community that’s out there, cause sometimes I think it’s kind of pushed away in the dark, and forgotten about,” said member Olivia Ross. “So, bringing them to light and making them feel special, and then hopefully just seeing where needs are. Like, yes, you have this event, but where can we also help this community in other ways?”
“It’s just super rewarding to see the whole picture, and to have a community to be a part of and celebrate these individuals,” said member Hadley Howell.
This event is sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, which provided a grant for Bridgeway Church to make the night possible.
“Just a night to truly celebrate and said to these people, ‘You are valuable and worthy, and we want to celebrate you tonight,'” Arinder said.
“I think for me, for the community, to be able to see my daughter and individuals like her the way that I do, the way other parents do, that’s truly an answered prayer,” Hill said.
The group said they hope to make this an annual event.
Night to Shine will be February 13 at 6 pm at the Baptist Student Union on Mississippi State University’s campus.
The event is for people 14 and up, and you can visit BridgewaySTK.org or contact Bridgeway Church to RSVP or to get involved.
The Time Tebow Foundation requires a 1-to-1 volunteer-to-special needs person ratio.
Arinder said Leo’s Limousines in Columbus has volunteered two long-stretch SUV limousines for the whole evening at no cost.
