God’s plans are greater than our plans, and his ways are greater than our ways…otherwise, we’d never pull off an event like Night to Shine! Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green…”

Night to Shine 2023 was a wonderful success. We had over 180 guests register to attend, and Vineland Elementary rarely sees such a party! We crowned 142 guests and had 242 volunteers! Of those volunteers, we have 110 students representing 11 area schools. And not to be outdone, our adult volunteers ranged in age from 18 to 81!

This is truly a community effort, and it would not be possible without our volunteers. Danielle Moskop and I would like to thank some wonderful people for their efforts to bring this together. If you see these people out and about in our community, please let them know that you appreciate their work on Night to Shine.

• Terri Dallas helps us recruit guests and volunteers and also does all the volunteer assignments. Her efforts to get people involved is vital.
• Angela English recruited a ton of guests from Washington County this year, and her quick work of adding some stylists was a huge help too.
• Beth Ross, among her many talents, secured our guests’ flowers and helped recruit volunteers.
• Frances Deaton organized the family meal and oversaw many salon services, including the recruitment of stylists.
• Angela Logan helps connect with guests and helps Felix with keeping guests organized during the formal photos.
• Debbie DeGeare did a great job securing supplies and picking up items as needed.
• Sharon Davis was our decorating guru for guest dining and made it look simply wonderful!
• Patty Briguglio organized the Night to Shine shop downstairs, sorted more tulle than most people see in a lifetime, and created a beautiful display for jewelry.
• Kelly Schmidt, Magi Sontag, Amy Stopp, and Denna and Phillips Hamilton were the handlers who brought their therapy dogs. They were a joy for our guests.
• Marianne Graf at Just Be Kind Café donated some delectable cupcakes for the family meal.
• Dustin Washam, Principal, and the teachers at Vineland Elementary let us take over their space and helped us prep the area for Night to Shine.
• Denise Hawkins takes care of the recruits at the Jefferson College Law Enforcement Academy. She helped us gather volunteers from that program, and they were great to have.
• John Siebert, a math teacher at the high school, became our instant karaoke leader when we needed someone to fill that role. He did a great job.
• Schnucks Community donated a gift card that we used to purchase cookies for the event volunteers.
• Paul Smollen from La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri supplied our green screen experience for guests. This was a new feature of our Night to Shine, and it was quickly a favorite among many guests.
• Felix Milfeld took our photos and did a great job, as he always does.
• Steve VanHoogstraat (Yes, you can call him “DJ Steve”.) always does a great job announcing guests and spinning tunes for the dance.
• Officers Frank Vogelpohl and Jacob Schurman provided our security. Both are officers with DeSoto City Police.
• Valle Ambulance was on-hand in case of any emergencies. Thankfully, they were just there to look pretty.
• Michaela Griffin was our videographer and worked with us on the pricing to stay within our budget.
• Rick Pirtle catered the family meal.
• Sara Brinkman, and the other SFE staff have always been great to work with and do a fabulous job feeding our guests and buddies.
• Travis Rogers, Head of Facilities, started in his position in September and didn’t quite know what Night to Shine was. He was wonderful to step in and get us what was needed.
• And the congregation of St. Andrew’s supplied much-needed prayers and support for Night to Shine.

We are already thinking about Night to Shine 2024. To stay connected with us, please consider joining the Facebook group “Night to Shine-De Soto” or liking our Facebook page. You can also contact the office about receiving email updates.

Again, our most sincere thanks for everyone making Night to Shine 2023 a wonderful success!

Keep Shining,
Melissa McAlpine