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Evelyn Aguirre, 16, attended the Night to Shine event at the Knoll Golf Club in Boonton Feb. 12. Aguirre, who is autistic, attends St. Joseph's School for the Blind in Jersey City.
Her mother, Yesenia Penate, said she knew her daughter would have a good time once they arrived.
"We watched Evelyn walk into a room full of strangers, without us, for the very first time," Penate said. "But somehow we were comfortable with this."
Aguirre proudly wore her tiara the whole night and danced until she tired herself out, her mother said.
"Night to Shine is such a special event," Penate said. "I cannot sufficiently express the immense gratitude we feel toward all who helped make this night happen. Our daughter got a chance to socialize in her own way and to be accepted as she is."
Night to Shine was hosted in 200 different spots across 48 states to give people with special needs a night to remember, its website states.
The Tim Tebow Foundation, run by the former NFL and University of Florida football player, was created to "show God's love to children around the world," its website states.
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