The plans of former NFL star and current SEC analyst Tim Tebow for his "Night to Shine" prom are getting bigger and bigger each year. Over 32,000 people with special needs attended this year's events hosted by the Tim Tebow Foundation.
The prom was held simultaneously in 48 states in the United States and six other countries—Uganda, Haiti, New Zealand, Ecuador, the Philippines and Kenya, according to the Gospel Herald.
"I am so thankful for the 200 host churches and more than 70,000 volunteers that showed God's love by celebrating people with special needs and are turning Night to Shine into a worldwide movement," said Tebow. "The Night to Shine movement is more than just a prom; it is a night where people with special needs shine and they are told that they matter, that they are important and that God has a plan for their life."
Tebow himself took part in the celebrations. The Christian athlete surprised guests and volunteers in six different "Night to Shine" locations. He went to the events held in New York City, Philadelphia, Cookeville (Tennessee), Charlotte, and Woodstock (in Georgia).
These events were all held last Feb. 12, but the Night to Shine event in Haiti was held a day earlier. Tebow also paid a surprise visit there.
"It's just so important to me," he told PEOPLE. "I've always had a burden for people who can't fight for themselves. The disabled are often bullied and told in a million ways that they're not important. Well, they are important, and this is a night for them to realise that they are important – and for the community to actually see them and celebrate them."
Tebow added that there are some people who look at the disabled as cursed people, but the "Night to Shine" event celebrates them. "I hope that can change the narrative, not just in Haiti, but everywhere," he said.
