Special-needs teens dance the night away at Santa Clarita prom organized by church, Tebow foundation

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Monday, February 10, 2020
Santa Clarita church holds prom for special needs kids
Real Life Church in Valencia partnered with the Tim Tebow Foundation to hold a prom night for special needs kids.

VALENCIA, Calif. (KABC) -- As the sun set in Santa Clarita Friday night, the stars came out.

Real Life Church in partnership with the Tim Tebow Foundation threw a prom for special-needs kids.

"When they walk off the bus, and their eyes light up and their parents burst into tears, that's coming close to how much Jesus has shown his love to us," said Rusty George, Pastor at Real Life church.

"I think a Night to Shine is such an amazing experience for a lot of people who are frequently left out," said Melanie Cross.

Night to Shine is equivalent to Oscar night for a lot of these kids.

"This is my sister's very first night to shine. She just turned 14 years old," said Brittany Barlog.

It's not a successful prom without some great dancing

"It's my favorite night because of the satisfaction I get for what we're doing," said Mike Diaz.

This is the fifth consecutive year Real Life Church has thrown a prom for a special-needs kids. What makes this one unique is it's the first year they partnered with the Tim Tebow Foundation.

"He has a bigger platform obviously than we do. So it enables us to get the word out more in our community," said George.