Every February, former NFL star Tim Tebow partners with hundreds of churches to show teens and adults with special needs their “God-given worth.”
Through his foundation’s annual Night to Shine, Tebow helps churches set up prom-like events with limousines, red carpets, gowns and tuxedos, crowns and dance music to give people with disabilities an evening of fun.
“As I reflect upon Night to Shine 2022, I am once again reminded of the goodness of God,” Tebow told Fox News this week.
This year, 450 churches in 39 countries sponsored Night to Shine events in their communities, according to the report. Because of COVID-19, this year churches held Shine-Thru parades or virtual celebrations instead of traditional prom-type events.
“I’m amazed that even during an ongoing worldwide pandemic, kings and queens were honored in more countries around the world than ever before. I am so grateful that He let us be a part of it,” Tebow said.
The Christian athlete praised the churches for organizing Night to Shine events, noting how meaningful the celebration is to people with special needs.
“They saw individuals whose challenges have significantly intensified throughout the pandemic, and they came together to serve them, to honor them and to celebrate them safely. I truly believe this is what the love of Jesus looks like,” he told Fox News.
LifeNews is on GETTR. Please follow us for the latest pro-life news
Fun looking back at all the incredible Night to Shine moments. Do you have a favorite moment or story to share? I want to hear! pic.twitter.com/cnTpSyQMYc
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) February 13, 2022
Here’s more from the report:
Tebow and his wife, Demi, were joined by Tim Tebow Foundation supporters for this year’s event.
They visited several Night to Shine locations in Africa, including the first-ever Night to Shine held in Cape Town, South Africa, the foundation said in a statement.
Despite the still-ongoing pandemic, those present “were able to encourage the guests and volunteers while remaining socially distanced, cheer and dance along the red carpet as the honored guests drove down in style, and share the message of God’s love with everyone involved,” the foundation noted.
Tebow has said that the annual event is his favorite night of the year because “we get to change so many lives.”
A former quarterback for the Denver Broncos and Heisman Trophy winner, Tebow is a devout Christian and strong pro-life advocate. Along with the Night to Shine, his foundation also builds playrooms in children’s hospitals and pays for surgeries for children who cannot afford them.
Speaking to pro-lifers in 2020, Tebow said his pro-life work “really does mean a lot more than winning the Super Bowl. One day, when you look back and people are talking about you and they say Oh my gosh what are you going to be known for? Are you going to say Super Bowl, or we saved a lot of babies?”
In 2010, he and his mother, Pam, came into the national spotlight when they partnered with Focus on the Family to share their story in a Superbowl commercial. Millions of Americans saw the commercial, which received high praise from pro-life groups.
In the commercial, Pam Tebow explained that she rejected abortion after doctors told her that killing Tim was the only way to save her life. At the time, Pam and her husband were on a mission trip in the Philippines. The Tebows said doctors described Tim as a “fetal tumor” and “mass of cells” that had to be removed. However, Tim’s mom refused abortion, and both mother and son miraculously survived.
