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WBS Penguins at a crucial point heading into Hershey

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H.S. Boys Basketball: Wyoming Valley Conference divisional title games postponed

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; &#8220;Let&#8217;s hear a big round of applause for our prom queen Breanne!&#8221; the man with a microphone said as a young woman paused under an arch of balloons.</p><p>&#8220;Coming down the red carpet is our prom queen Brittany!&#8221; he announced a moment later for another young woman with a crown.</p><p>&#8220;Give it up for Sandy!&#8221; he told an appreciative crowd in a ballroom at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center, where a casual bystander might have wondered on Friday evening just how many prom queens one Night to Shine can have.</p><p>&#8220;There are 130 honored guests, and they&#8217;re all kings and queens,&#8221; pastor Steve Brown of Parker Hill Church said, explaining the church, with campuses in both Luzerne and Lackawanna County, was taking part in the Tim Tebow Foundation&#8217;s Night to Shine program by organizing two prom-themed parties for people with special needs.</p><p>While the event at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre had 130 honored guests, ranging in age from teen-agers to senior citizens, a simultaneous event at Genetti&#8217;s in Dickson City attracted an additional 100 honored guests.</p><p>&#8220;We want them to know there is a God that loves them,&#8221; Brown said, adding he was grateful to 700 volunteers who pitched in to make the events run smoothly.</p><p>&#8220;Helping people is something I&#8217;ve always wanted to do,&#8221; said Gabriel Velez, a nursing student from Wilkes University who volunteered to serve as a &#8220;buddy,&#8221; or one-on-one escort, for an honored guest.</p><p>Velez was waiting in line with his honored guest, a smiling Adam Fountain, for their turn to pose for a photo and enter the ballroom by way of the red carpet.</p><p>Other volunteers shined shoes, pinned boutonniers, handed out crowns, took photographs and guided people into a limousine for an optional ride around the block while an especially busy group styled hair and touched up make-up for the honored guests.</p><p>&#8220;How do I look?&#8221; a young woman asked a trio of volunteers from Union and Main Hair Design in Wilkes-Barre, two of whom had been working on her hair with curling wands while the third had applied lip color with an applicator.</p><p>&#8220;You look great!&#8221; they told her. &#8220;Beautiful!&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;You look like Princess Di,&#8221; volunteer Wanda Ruppert, from the Wilkes University nursing faculty told another honored guest, Robin Sant, of Scranton, after she combed her hair.</p><p>For the most part parents or other caregivers ate dinner in one ballroom while honored guests and their buddies had the independent experience of dinner in an adjoining room.</p><p>Then it was time for dancing, which some participants accomplished on foot and some in wheelchairs, many with wide smiles of delight.</p><p>Did the evening remind volunteers of their own high school proms?</p><p>&#8220;Honestly,&#8221; hair stylist Erin Rebo Pikul said, &#8220;this is probably way more fun.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Adam Fountain waits in line for his turn to have a prom photo taken before going into the ballroom at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Adam Fountain waits in line for his turn to have a prom photo taken before going into the ballroom at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">&#8216;You look like Princess Di,&#8217; volunteer Wanda Ruppert told Robin Sant, of Scranton, after she styled her hair as the Night to Shine event got under way. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred2.jpg</photo1><caption1>&#8216;You look like Princess Di,&#8217; volunteer Wanda Ruppert told Robin Sant, of Scranton, after she styled her hair as the Night to Shine event got under way. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">&#8216;Buddy&#8217; Meghan Long rolls honored guest Breanne Zimmerman down the red carpet after she was introduced as prom queen. The Night to Shine in Wilkes-Barre had 130 prom kings and queens. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred4.jpg</photo2><caption2>&#8216;Buddy&#8217; Meghan Long rolls honored guest Breanne Zimmerman down the red carpet after she was introduced as prom queen. The Night to Shine in Wilkes-Barre had 130 prom kings and queens. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">AJ Warakomski of Mountain Top cheers for each king or queen that was announced as they entered the ballroom at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre during Friday&#8217;s Night to Shine event. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred5.jpg</photo3><caption3>AJ Warakomski of Mountain Top cheers for each king or queen that was announced as they entered the ballroom at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre during Friday&#8217;s Night to Shine event. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wayne Godsey of Tunkhannock shows off his dance moves while dancing with his &#8216;buddy,&#8217; Paige Parsons of Bear Creek, during Friday evening&#8217;s Night to Shine, held at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred6.jpg</photo4><caption4>Wayne Godsey of Tunkhannock shows off his dance moves while dancing with his &#8216;buddy,&#8217; Paige Parsons of Bear Creek, during Friday evening&#8217;s Night to Shine, held at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred7.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Guest at the Night to Shine at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center enjoyed themselves on the dance floor. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred7.jpg</photo5><caption5>Guest at the Night to Shine at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center enjoyed themselves on the dance floor. </caption5><photoCredit5>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit5></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred8.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Benny Gregorowicz of Jessup dances up a storm on his crutches with his buddy Wilkes University senior Maura Serio. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo6>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred8.jpg</photo6><caption6>Benny Gregorowicz of Jessup dances up a storm on his crutches with his buddy Wilkes University senior Maura Serio. </caption6><photoCredit6>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit6></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred9.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Megan Grigas dances with her buddies Lauren Vermeulen (center) and Amy Viti on the ball room floor of Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center during the Night to Shine event, </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo7>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred9.jpg</photo7><caption7>Megan Grigas dances with her buddies Lauren Vermeulen (center) and Amy Viti on the ball room floor of Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center during the Night to Shine event, </caption7><photoCredit7>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit7></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred10.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Darryl Herman talks to a buddy, Barbara Straub, at a table in the ball room during the Night to Shine at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo8>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred10.jpg</photo8><caption8>Darryl Herman talks to a buddy, Barbara Straub, at a table in the ball room during the Night to Shine at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre. </caption8><photoCredit8>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit8></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred11.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ryan Wasko of Forty Fort looks around the ballroom at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center inWilkes-Barre while the meal was being served during the recent Night to Shine. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo9>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_fred11.jpg</photo9><caption9>Ryan Wasko of Forty Fort looks around the ballroom at Genetti&#8217;s Hotel &amp; Convention Center inWilkes-Barre while the meal was being served during the recent Night to Shine. </caption9><photoCredit9>Fred Adams | For Times Leader </photoCredit9></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Parker Hill Church organizes festive affairs</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mary Therese Biebel</p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Night to Shine offers ‘way more fun’