A Mars church is putting the finishing touches on a special event for some special people.

Night to Shine will take place Feb. 10 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township.

It's a prom night experience, centered on God's love, for people 14 and older with special needs.

On this night, 375 host churches in 50 states and 11 countries around the world will host their Night to Shine for thousands of honored guests.

Woodland Valley Church wanted to be a part of it.

The church, 225 Crowe Ave. in Mars, also houses the office of the CARES Foundation (Community and Residential Empowerment Services) which is promoting the event.

Mindy Bowen, regional director of Cares of Western Pa., offered to organize the Night to Shine.

“Working with individuals with intellectual disabilities, I came across people that never had a prom experience or occasion to dress up and be the center of attention,” said Bowen of Economy Borough.

She heard about Tim Tebow's Foundation and its sponsorship of proms for people with disabilities and thought it might be a good fit for her clients.

“I reached out to Woodland Valley Church to see if they would want to partner on hosting the event, and they welcomed the idea with open arms,” Bowen said.

The list grew to almost 200 registered guests and an equal number of volunteers.

Bowen has been busy obtaining sponsors and vendors, overseeing registration and promoting the event.

“As the numbers kept growing, so did the amount of logistics to plan and coordinate,” Bowen said. This is Bowen's first prom to organize, and she credits her team with helping.

Kate Funk of Middlesex Township, a member of Woodland Valley Church, is on Bowen's team as the head of volunteers.

“As a church, we want to make an impact on the community, and we found this event to be a great opportunity to honor and celebrate individuals with special needs,” Funk said.

“For me, personally, God instilled in me a love for individuals with special needs. I began working with individuals with special needs at age 14 and later became a special- education teacher. I feel honored and excited to be a part of this event,” Funk said.

She said each of the special guests is assigned a buddy for the evening.

“My role is to train the buddies who provide companionship and any assistance the guest may need during the event. Buddies dine with guests and engage them in conversation,” said Funk. “The biggest challenge is getting enough volunteers to the brief training sessions.”

Volunteer Jacqueline White of New Sewickley Township, Beaver County, offers her services in another area.

As an employee of CARES, she knows many of those who are attending.

“I've been sorting the prom dresses according to sizes for the ladies to try on, helping to make corsages and boutonnieres for the VIPs, and I am in charge of hair and makeup for the ladies and gentlemen wishing to have their hair styled,” White said.

She has been working with special-needs people for more than 20 years and encourages others to get involved in this event.

“Everyone likes to feel like a princess or prince once in their life, so please come donate your time to help these folks have their chance to be royalty for the night,” she said.

For information on how you can become a part of A Night to Shine contact the website at volunteer@nighttoshinewesternpa.com or call the CARES office at 724- 687-7880.

WHAT: Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow FoundationWHEN: 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 10WHERE: Pittsburgh Marriott North, 100 Cranberry Woods DriveINFORMATION: nighttoshinewesternpa.com or CARES of Western Pa. Mars campus at 724-687-7880

This year marks the third anniversary of Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. In just three years, this prom night experience for people with special needs, ages 14 and older, has become a worldwide movement.This year, more than 150,000 volunteers in more than 375 churches around the world will serve more than 75,000 honored guests simultaneously on one night, Feb. 10. The 375 host churches represent all 50 states, 11 countries and 28 different denominations and mark an 850 percent growth from year one.For more information, visit www.timtebowfoundation.org