Special
Needs Kids
to Kick Up
Their Heels
Linda Estill (left) hopes
to bring together
special needs kids from
Santa Clara and San
Benito Counties for a
memorable evening of
fun and dancing.
Linda Estill has made it her mission to ensure
that our special needs teens get to experience
the joy of a prom.
W
hile waiting for my hairdresser
last summer, I ran across
an article about the mother
of an autistic son who was saddened
by the fact that he wouldn’t be able to
participate in one of life’s premiere mile-
stones: attending a prom. So Joy Cameron
took it upon herself to organize a prom
specifically designed for special needs
individuals, and over the past four years
it has become a huge success. This was
the inspiration for my project. If you
would like more information and details
about this, I would encourage you to
visit Ms. Cameron’s Facebook page, Shine
Prom, where you’ll find video clips,
photos and stories.
My eight-year-old grandson has high
functioning autism, thus I have a personal
connection to and empathy for students,
as well as adults, with certain disabilities.
I would like to bring to South Santa
Clara and San Benito Counties what Joy
Cameron brought to Boise, Idaho, and
organize a sensory-friendly prom, possibly
combined with a graduation celebration,
specifically designed for the special needs
high school students in our area. Students
with disabilities are sometimes self-
conscious and reluctant to attend
events such as traditional proms
and dances with the general
school population. The Shining
Star Prom is designed so that
everyone has an exciting, FUN
and memorable evening where
no one will be uncomfortable.
The first Shining Star Prom will be
held on May 13, 2017 in Gilroy, CA.
We are in the process of requesting
grants from a few local charitable orga-
nizations. But there is no guarantee that
we will receive these. We need funds for
facility fees, rental equipment, invita-
tions, food, a disc jockey, decorations,
a photo booth, a photographer and
videographer, souvenirs —all the things
necessary to make this event a success.
Let’s do what it takes to create an evening
that will provide lasting memories for
all those involved. Any amount you can
contribute will go a long way and will be
greatly appreciated!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Of course we need funding: you or your
company can be a sponsor. Maybe you
would like to sponsor the photo booth,
caterer, the decorations, souvenirs, trans-
portation, or flowers. Or you can donate
any amount of money to help defray
the costs. Anything you can contribute
would be greatly appreciated. Every little
bit helps. You can donate through our
GoFundMe site: gofundme.com/Shining-
Star-Prom, or contact Linda Estill,
festive@garlic.com (408) 848-5092.
Announcing the first annual Shining Star Prom on May 13th, 2017 at Christopher High School, a
sensory-friendly event specifically designed for special needs high school students in Morgan Hill,
Gilroy, San Juan Bautista and Hollister. Students with disabilities are sometimes self-conscious and
reluctant to attend events such as traditional proms and dances with the general school population.
Consequently they miss out on these important milestones. The Shining Star Prom is designed so
that everyone has an exciting, FUN and memorable evening where no one will be uncomfortable.
Let’s join together to show the special kids in our communities that
they are all shining stars and give them a very special night to remember!
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
MARCH/APRIL 2017
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