Cumberland Fellowship in Crossville is hosting a Wizard of Oz themed prom Saturday to provide a safe and magical celebration for individuals 14 and older with intellectual or physical disabilities.
Cumberland Fellowship Special Needs Ministry Director Missy Thompson organized the event to feature contributions from local businesses and organizations. The evening includes a live band, catered food, and a dedicated pampering session before the doors officially open.
“Well, we just wanted them to feel special and to get all the love and attention that they deserve,” Thompson said. “Sometimes individuals with special needs kind of get to the back side of things. So we wanted something just to highlight them, a safe space where they can be themselves, have a good time, be with their friends, fellowship, dance, and just celebrate them and all their unique abilities in one safe location.”
The prom features stage sets provided by the Cumberland County Playhouse to transform the church terrace into Kansas and the sanctuary into the Emerald City, Thompson said. First National Bank of Tennessee will provide framed photographs for guests, while The Arc of Cumberland County and Willow’s Catering are supplying the food, Thompson said.
“So it’s just, I feel like it’s more of a community coming together to love on all these individuals instead of just our local church, you know what I’m saying?” Thompson said. “So I love that it’s becoming more growing and becoming more of a community loving on our guys than just us, so it’s very special.”
Before the event begins at 5:00 PM, attendees can arrive at 3:00 PM for free hair, makeup, and nail services from local beauticians. The Crossville Cruisers will also be on site with classic cars for guests to explore and take pictures with before the dance.
“I think it really speaks volume to our community how that they love on our guys,” Thompson said. “I’m a special needs mom myself, so to see these guys come in with these smiles on their faces, I mean you’ll have parents that are, they’re just so overwhelmed with gratitude for the love and care and anticipation that our guys have and like, you know, just you feel, you literally feel the love as they’re walking down the line and they’re, you’re, we’re all clapping for them and taking pictures and they just feel like they’re the center of attention and the star of the show for one night and it just as a parent, it just, you can’t describe the feeling it gives you to know that your child is being loved exactly where they’re at.”
The event does not require pre-registration for attendees to ensure no one feels excluded if their plans change. However, volunteers must sign up quickly to complete required background checks.
“You can sign up on the CF app or by emailing me missy@cumberlandfellowship.com and I’ll get those, communicate those needs to you what we need,” Thompson said. “You know, we still could use a few other nail techs, makeup. I think I’ve got pretty good hairdressers, but you know, if you need but when you do that, they will need to bring everything with them because our guys don’t have anything. So if you want to do that, I will need them to bring the supplies with them. We could still use a few dancers and cleanup crews if anybody’s willing, we close down at 8 o’clock and we’ll start cleaning up trying to get ready for church the next morning, so you know, it’s a ongoing thing.”
The prom will take place on Saturday, March 21, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.