Alpha Xi Delta hosted its second annual special needs prom, “A Night to Shine,” on Friday night at the Dean Road Recreation Center.
Ashton Leddon, freshman in early childhood education, helped plan the event.
“This is a prom for students in the community who have all types of special needs to come and have their own prom since at a lot of schools they get outcasted from them, which is horrible, but some schools they might allow them to be included in the prom so we just kind of wanted to give them a prom of their own,” Leddon said. “It’s all about them for the night.”
Leddon said approximately 50 members of her sorority volunteered for the night. Volunteers dressed up for the event and had T-shirts made.
“Since our philanthropy is Autism Speaks, we have a true heart for working with those with disabilities," Leddon said.
Alpha Xi Delta raised money through a few different events throughout the year in preparation for the night, Leddon said.
“We raised money through our Illuminate event which was different vendors, boutiques in the Auburn community that came to our chapter room and set up clothes and items to be sold off so that was one way we raised money,” Leddon said. “Another was our letter writing campaign where the women of Alpha Xi Delta sent out letters to family members or different people throughout the community asking for money to sponsor our event.”
Leddon said Alpha Xi Delta raised about $550 for the event in total and ended up using all of it.
“This is just our way of giving back to them so they have the most special evening that they can,” Leddon said. “We’re going to eat snacks with them, and we’re going to dance the night away.”
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