CHAMPION — There was enough red carpet treatment to go around as the Wildare Church teamed up with the Tim Tebow Foundation to host its Night to Shine Prom for another year.

The three-hour event at the church brought together 85 guests aged 14 and older from across Trumbull County, as they enjoyed an experience that included a warm welcome from a crowd and paparazzi, hair and makeup stations, limousine rides and prom photos, as well as a catered dinner and dancing.

Event director Trish Shafer explained they got involved with Night to Shine, which former NFL player Tim Tebow started 11 years ago as a way to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his foundation — the Tim Tebow Foundation — after its first year.

“After the first year, us here at the church took notice of what he was doing, and we decided that we wanted to host here ourselves,” Shafer said. “So we put in an application to do it the next year. But just from after that first year they did it, we decided we were going to do it.”

Shafer said they’re one of several Mahoning Valley churches that host the prom, which was put on simultaneously by 725 churches in all 50 states and 56 countries around the world in 2024.

Shafer said the work to put on the prom is done by church parishioners.

“(The) Tim Tebow Foundation is just who we’re sponsored through; like we follow the guidelines but we self-fund through donations,” she said.

Bob Nalbach of Warren, who has helped with the prom since the church started hosting it eight years ago, explained that he kept coming back after experiencing it the first year and it touched his heart.

“It’s such a great event; it’s important to these kids and these people that never experienced or dealt with prom,” Nalbach said. “It’s very important and special to them and it’s such a great time. It’s such a great honor to be a part of it.”

As a volunteer, Nalbach explained he serves as a “buddy”, who are typically assigned to one person to provide support as needed. He was assigned several individuals this year, adding that he also helps other newcomers who volunteer to help.

“We do this every year, and it keeps getting packed every year. It gets more and more people,” Nalbach said. “One thing I can take out of this is that the joy on their faces, the happiness we bring to them. That’s what’s so important. Make sure it’s a great night for them; it’s all about them.”

Vera Ceglarck of West Farmington, who was waiting for her son, Elliot, on the red carpet to take his picture as he arrived from his limousine ride, said the prom is something he looks forward to every year.

“This event is unmatched in the enthusiasm of its volunteers. It has structure and it’s something that my son has gotten to enjoy,” Ceglarck said. “It’s a place for him to meet with his friends and something to look forward to every year.”

The night reached its climax with a king and queen crowning ceremony for all of the guests, which is done at the same time at all events across the globe.