'A night to shine'
Special needs adults, teens treated to unforgettable prom experience
Dani Chase, 17; Sarah Greene, 22; Tiffany Tarro, 21; and Theresa Buzzelli, 21, pose for a photo op before the prom slipped into full swing. Photo by JAIME ANTON
STRONGSVILLE – Close friends Tiffany Tarro and Theresa Buzzelli kick the evening off in style posing in front of the step and repeat for a series of red carpet photos.
Tarro was sassy with hand on hip, while Buzzelli blew kisses.
“It’s a great night to shine,” Buzzelli, 21, of Strongsville, says, afterward. “It’s all about my friends, and I just want to be a part of it.”
Tarro, 21, North Royalton’s 2015 Homecoming Queen, couldn’t agree more.
“I want to feel beautiful and special and dance with my friends,” she said, her reason for attending.
After their glamour shots, the pair were ready to dance the night away at this prom like none other.
They were two of the 192 guests of “A Night to Shine,” a prom specifically for special needs teens and adults sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted by North Royalton’s Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church.
The church put on a similar event two years ago, and the response was overwhelming. This year they partnered with Tebow’s foundation to secure funding and moved the party to the grand ballroom at Holiday Inn in Strongsville. This prom was hosted Feb. 10 with the help of 300 volunteers from all over the area.
Buzzelli and Tarro joined childhood friends Sarah Greene, 22, of Independence; Dani Chase, 17, of New London; and Ashley Johnson, 21, of Fairview Park, who all took their seats at Table 30.
The room looked how you’d picture prom: excited men and women buzzing about the room in formal attire complete with corsages and boutonnieres, a dance floor hopping with dancers swaying to the beat of classics.
Parents were treated to their own gathering in a separate room in the hotel restaurant.
Buzzelli and Tarro’s mothers, Eileen Buzzelli and Linda Tarro, proudly watched their daughters take in the sights and sounds from afar.
“It’s a great night to celebrate and enjoy the uniqueness of our kids, and they are loving it,” Eileen said, fighting tears. “They are the five divas. They have all known each other since they were babies. Watch out when they dance!”
“It’s something we would never be able to do without Tim Tebow,” Linda added.
Tim Tebow Foundation made much of the night possible with help of additional funding from Royal Redeemer’s congregation as well as donated and discounted services from various vendors.
Area churches, high schools, even the football team from John Carroll University pitched in to make the night shine.
“We knew they needed people. One thing we talk about is not just football and academics but being a man of Carroll. We focus on humility and respect. Community outreach is huge,” Derek Naim, a junior football player, said.
Royal Redeemer Pastor Dave Timm said it was a special night not only for this community but 375 others around the nation and globe in 11 countries, hosting similar proms that same evening.
“We do this to demonstrate God’s love as we care for those who maybe didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate their prom,” he said. “I feel like a proud grandpa at my granddaughter’s wedding.”
Royal Redeemer’s Lynn Ebner, prom coordinator, said it is much more than a night of fun but about inclusion.
“We get an opportunity to share God’s love with them and make them feel special. We get to meet them and invite them to our Friends of Jesus, which meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:30-7:30 p.m.,” she said.
North Royalton Mayor Bob Stefanik and Council President Larry Antoskiewicz dropped by to support Royal Redeemer and schmooze with guests, walking around the room and stopping here and there to sit at a table and chitchat. Stefanik said he appreciates what Royal Redeemer and all North Royalton churches do to support fellow neighbors and community.
Back at Table 30, the undertaking it took to make this a night to remember wasn’t lost on Greene.
“I want to thank Tim Tebow for doing this for us,” she said. “It’s great.”
Tarro was sassy with hand on hip, while Buzzelli blew kisses.
“It’s a great night to shine,” Buzzelli, 21, of Strongsville, says, afterward. “It’s all about my friends, and I just want to be a part of it.”
Tarro, 21, North Royalton’s 2015 Homecoming Queen, couldn’t agree more.
“I want to feel beautiful and special and dance with my friends,” she said, her reason for attending.
After their glamour shots, the pair were ready to dance the night away at this prom like none other.
They were two of the 192 guests of “A Night to Shine,” a prom specifically for special needs teens and adults sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted by North Royalton’s Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church.
The church put on a similar event two years ago, and the response was overwhelming. This year they partnered with Tebow’s foundation to secure funding and moved the party to the grand ballroom at Holiday Inn in Strongsville. This prom was hosted Feb. 10 with the help of 300 volunteers from all over the area.
Buzzelli and Tarro joined childhood friends Sarah Greene, 22, of Independence; Dani Chase, 17, of New London; and Ashley Johnson, 21, of Fairview Park, who all took their seats at Table 30.
The room looked how you’d picture prom: excited men and women buzzing about the room in formal attire complete with corsages and boutonnieres, a dance floor hopping with dancers swaying to the beat of classics.
Parents were treated to their own gathering in a separate room in the hotel restaurant.
Buzzelli and Tarro’s mothers, Eileen Buzzelli and Linda Tarro, proudly watched their daughters take in the sights and sounds from afar.
“It’s a great night to celebrate and enjoy the uniqueness of our kids, and they are loving it,” Eileen said, fighting tears. “They are the five divas. They have all known each other since they were babies. Watch out when they dance!”
“It’s something we would never be able to do without Tim Tebow,” Linda added.
Tim Tebow Foundation made much of the night possible with help of additional funding from Royal Redeemer’s congregation as well as donated and discounted services from various vendors.
Area churches, high schools, even the football team from John Carroll University pitched in to make the night shine.
“We knew they needed people. One thing we talk about is not just football and academics but being a man of Carroll. We focus on humility and respect. Community outreach is huge,” Derek Naim, a junior football player, said.
Royal Redeemer Pastor Dave Timm said it was a special night not only for this community but 375 others around the nation and globe in 11 countries, hosting similar proms that same evening.
“We do this to demonstrate God’s love as we care for those who maybe didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate their prom,” he said. “I feel like a proud grandpa at my granddaughter’s wedding.”
Royal Redeemer’s Lynn Ebner, prom coordinator, said it is much more than a night of fun but about inclusion.
“We get an opportunity to share God’s love with them and make them feel special. We get to meet them and invite them to our Friends of Jesus, which meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:30-7:30 p.m.,” she said.
North Royalton Mayor Bob Stefanik and Council President Larry Antoskiewicz dropped by to support Royal Redeemer and schmooze with guests, walking around the room and stopping here and there to sit at a table and chitchat. Stefanik said he appreciates what Royal Redeemer and all North Royalton churches do to support fellow neighbors and community.
Back at Table 30, the undertaking it took to make this a night to remember wasn’t lost on Greene.
“I want to thank Tim Tebow for doing this for us,” she said. “It’s great.”