Skate for Hope set for May 3

Olympic gold medalists Scott Hamilton and Sarah Hughes will join 12 U.S., World and Olympic figure skaters at the Bowling Green State University (BGSU) Ice Arena on May 3 as guest emcees in this year’s Skate for Hope Awareness and Research Fundraising Show.

Sarah Hughes and Dan Hollander pose with a local skater at 2013 Skate for Hope                          (Keegan James Photography)

The show will also include local skaters of all ages who raise funds for cancer research to earn their spots in the cast. Skate for Hope is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to the goal of eradicating breast cancer. To date, Skate for Hope has raised more than $500,000 for breast cancer research.

Tickets for the star-studded show start at just $11 and are on sale through ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations, and at the Stroh Center Box Office.

Proceeds from the event will benefit The Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative, a partnership between Hamilton, who is a cancer survivor, and the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute where he was treated. CARES was created to promote cancer awareness and has raised millions of dollars for cancer research since its inception in 1999.

One of the most recognizable names in international figure skating, Scott Hamilton learned to skate at the BGSU Ice Arena. He returns to his hometown after serving as NBC’s lead figure skating analyst for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Skate for Hope utilizes figure skating, a sport that epitomizes women’s strength, to bring attention, resources, education and awareness to fight against breast cancer. Each year, Skate for Hope presents a spectacular production that celebrates the strength, courage and journey of all cancer survivors.

Skate for Hope’s mission is to:

• Empower children and young adults to better cope with a friend or family member’s cancer diagnosis

• Raise funding for clinical breast cancer research

• Provide breast cancer education and awareness

• Honor community cancer survivors

In addition to the two celebrity emcees, Scott Hamilton and Sarah Hughes, elite figure skaters headlining the show include:

• Felicia Zhang & Nathan Bartholomay, 2014 Olympians, U.S. silver medalists

• Max Aaron, 2013 U.S. champion, reigning U.S. bronze medalist

• Rachael Flatt, 2010 Olympian, 2010 U.S. champion

• Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier, 2013 Canadian silver medalists

• Caitlin Yankowskas & Hamish Gaman, 2014 British bronze medalists

• Emily Samuelson, 2010 Olympian with former partner Evan Bates

• Emily Hughes, 2006 Olympian, two-time U.S. silver medalist

• Dan Hollander, World Professional champion

Please visit www.skateforhope.org for complete information.

Questions – Please contact Carolyn Bongirno at 614.531.9499 or bongirno@mac.com 

Third annual “An Evening on Ice” set for July 20 at the Toyota Sports Center

An all-star cast of athletes is scheduled to perform at “An Evening on Ice,” including 16 U.S. champions, six Olympians and five World and World Junior champions. Two performances are set for Saturday, July 20, at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, Calif., with all proceeds benefiting the U.S. Athletic Foundation.

Douglas Razzano, a recipient of U.S. Athletic Foundation funding, is set to skate in this year’s performance.

Now in its third year, “An Evening on Ice” strives to raise funds to support top competitive skaters who have demonstrated financial need, have a track record of success but who do not have other funding avenues available to them through the U.S. Athletic Foundation.

This year’s event, hosted by five-time U.S. pairs champions Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, will feature performances from 2006 World champion Kimmie Meissner, two-time U.S. champion Alissa Czisny, 2010 U.S. champion Rachael Flatt, 2012 U.S. champions Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, World Junior champion Joshua Farris and 2012 U.S. silver medalist Adam Rippon. Also scheduled to take the ice are 2006 U.S. bronze medalist Emily Hughes and eight-time British champion Steven Cousins, among others.

The U.S. Athletic Foundation is a non-profit, donor-funded organization that offers financial management services to nationally and internationally competitive figure skaters. The foundation was envisioned by 2002 U.S. junior champion Nicholas LaRoche and his sister, Tricia. Working together, they created a training assistance fund to help promising athletes who are held back from their potential due to financial hardship. Among the beneficiaries of the fund are Czisny, two-time U.S. pairs silver medalist Mark Ladwig, Ice Challenge silver medalist Douglas Razzano and U.S. pewter medalist Courtney Hicks.

Tickets range from $35 to $105 and are available at the door or online at http://www.usathleticfoundation.org/events.html. Donations to the U.S. Athletic Foundation can be made online at http://www.usathleticfoundation.org/donations.html.

“An Evening with Champions” to feature all-star line-up

Paul Wylie chats with Emily Hughes at last year’s performance (Photo by Sarah Brannen)

The 42nd annual “An Evening with Champions” will take place Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. The event will take place at Harvard’s Bright Hockey Center and all event proceeds will benefit the Jimmy Fund, which supports adult and pediatric cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

Hosted by 1992 Olympic silver medalist Paul Wylie and Harvard University student and 2010 Olympian Emily Hughes, the show will feature an all-star cast of skaters including three-time U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott, reigning U.S. bronze medalist Agnes Zawadzki, 2011 U.S. champion Ryan Bradley and two-time Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist and incoming Harvard freshman Christina Gao.

Click hereto view the full line-up.

Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir will perform for the second straight year (Photo by Sarah Brannen)

A silent auction to benefit the Jimmy Fund will begin 30 minutes before each show, with a prize drawing after intermission. Since its premier in 1970, “An Evening with Champions” has been run entirely by Harvard University students and has raised more than $2.5 million for the Jimmy Fund.

For more information, please visit: www.jimmyfund.com/skating or www.aneveningwithchampions.org.

“An Evening with Champions” can also be reached through e-mail at aneveningwithchampions@gmail.com or by phone at (617) 942-1392.

Emotional, uplifting moments shared at Skate for Hope

Participating in the Skate for Hope Rose Dedication Ceremony are Serafina Rees, Lee Harris, Emily Hughes, Natalie Bongirno, Lauren Muffley and Jeremy Abbott. Photo courtesy of Leah Adams

A cast of former and current U.S. champions and Olympians donated their time and talents for the ninth annual Skate for Hope (SFH) show, which benefits breast cancer research and awareness. Since 2004, SFH has raised more than $400,000 for the cause.

This year’s event, held June 16 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, featured performances by Ashley Wagner, Jeremy Abbott, Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker, Adam Rippon, Rachael Flatt, Emily Hughes, Caitlin Yankowskas and Joshua Reagan, Emily Samuelson and Todd Gilles, Alexe Gilles, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier and Lee Harris.

About 120 amateur skaters from Central Ohio joined their heroes on the ice for the inspiring evening, which featured beautiful and emotional performances honoring breast cancer survivors who were seated in the front row.

Harris, Hughes and Abbott shared their common experience of their mothers being cancer survivors by participating in the Rose Dedication Ceremony with three of the younger amateur skaters.

“The audience was deeply moved seeing these elite athletes share the ice with three little skaters who have faced the same fears and challenges,” organizer Carolyn Bongirno said. “The show was upbeat and heartfelt throughout.”

For Harris, Hughes and Abbott, the evening proved to be an emotional one for them.

“This year was important for me to skate and dedicate my skating to my mum, alongside Caitlin Yankowskas, who graciously accepted my wishes to skate with me,” Harris said. “Being able to express my love and support for my mum through the gift that both my parents have given me with my skating was something I will never forget.”

Hughes’ mother, Amy, is a breast cancer survivor and an advocate for breast cancer research and awareness.

“This was my eighth year skating in Skate for Hope, and each year the show gets better and even more meaningful,” Hughes said. “It brings together great skating and breast cancer awareness, two things that kindle my passion. I believe everyone left the show that night wanting to contribute more to this cause. I know I did.”

Abbott’s mother, Allison Scott, is a survivor of skin cancer.

“It was a great show,” Abbott said. “It was my first time participating and I think it’s for a great cause. To be able to help support finding a cure was really amazing, and to meet these women and hear their stories was something really special and I’m glad I was part of it.”

SFH is a not for profit 501c3 charitable organization that donates its proceeds to the Stefanie Spielman Fund at the James Cancer Center and Solove Research Institute and to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

SFH will celebrate its 10th anniversary in June 2013, with the goal of crossing the $500,000 milestone. To support Skate for Hope, visit skateforhope.org and to follow all announcements, Please “Like” SFH on Facebook.

 

Lee Harris and Caitlin Yankowskas offer a heartfelt moment during the show as Harris presents his mom with a yellow rose.
Photo courtesy of Leah Adams