GALLATIN, TENNESSEE – It was an unforgettable evening as the Tim Tebow Foundation held its fifth annual Night to Shine prom night experience where more than 600 churches around the world host nearly 100,000 special needs guests ages 14 and older. Bandit Lites donated the lighting package for Northfield Church’s Night to Shine.
Lighting designer Luke Carver began working with the tech team of NorthField church in the fall of 2016 and following the success of 2018’s event, the team looked to upgrade the evening’s lighting with a grander design, an effort achieved with the help of Bandit Lites.
Bandit prepped and donated Elation Paladins, Claypaky Sharpys and Bandit’s exclusive GRNLite Moving Washes for the evening where the red-carpet entry is one of the Night to Shine staples, celebrating the guests and giving them the royal treatment as they make their way inside where a DJ and live entertainment awaited them for a magical prom experience.
“For Night to Shine, the main goal was to wash the two areas, the dance floor and the red carpet, in a safe and effective way,” said Carver. “The light that was our work horse was the Elation Paladin. It has many great features like the pixel mapping and zoom that help add to how bright the fixture is, making it both a great dynamic wash and strobe. Sharpys created nice narrow beams to move over the audience while the GRNLite Washes supported the Paladins to wash the dance floor.”
Night to Shine’s mission to promote and support the special needs community with a message of love and understanding culminates in every guest being crowned Prom King and Queen and dancing the night away in a space that celebrates them.
“The biggest thing that stood out to me was watching the honored guest come down the red carpet and into the dance floor and being wowed and amazed,” said Carver. “Seeing their faces light up with pure joy was well worth the time of setup. It was a very rewarding show for such a great cause.”
“Every once in a while, a job comes along that you simply cannot put a dollar figure to due to the cause, and for that reason we cannot thank Mark Carver enough for involving us with this event,” said Bandit Lites Vice President Mike Golden. “This has become an annual job of passion for us, and the smiles on the faces and the looks of wonderment from the attendees are more valuable than any amount we would charge. We look very forward to continuing this annual event for many years to come and we are proud to be asked to participate.”
“Bandit Lites went above and beyond all my expectations with their amazing preparation work of the gear and the reliability of the gear,” said Luke Carver. “Thanks to Project Manager Matt King and Michael Golden with their help with donating and supplying this package.”
Following the February 8 festivities, Tim Tebow shared that over 200,000 volunteers in 20 countries worked together to make it all happen, a sentiment echoed by Carver who credited Northfield Church’s success to the Assistant Lighting Director Austin Hall who operated the board and handled programming duties saying, “He definitely was a big help and I could not have done the event without him. Special thanks also should go to Jeff Loftis for his help with setup and tear down.”
About Bandit Lites, Inc.
Bandit Lites is a global leader in the entertainment lighting marketplace. From touring productions to fixed installations, Bandit Lites has a full staff of highly trained professionals to deal with all types of lighting needs. Bandit’s global presence will insure seamless transitions no matter where your next show takes you. More information available at www.BanditLites.com