by Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz, special to U.S. Figure Skating Online

Skate America sweepers pose backstage with silver medalist Rachael Flatt. (Photo by Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz)

They gather - arms full of stuffed animals and gifts from the ice - at the end of skaters' programs, and then have the honor of presenting them to the competitors in the kiss-and-cry area. They are ice sweepers, and at 2009 Cancer.Net Skate America in Lake Placid, N.Y., skaters from clubs across the United States and Canada found out just what it is like to "sweep the ice."

Finding out she would be an ice sweeper for the ladies short program caused 9-year-old Lenika Billera of the Skating Club of Lake Placid to just about "pop out of her skin." For Billera, who is of Swedish descent, a highlight of the event was collecting stuffed animals and presenting them to Swedish skater Joshi Helgesson, and wishing her "good luck" in Swedish.

"I was so thrilled to get to be one of the sweepers," said Billera, who also posed backstage with fellow sweepers and Skate America silver medalist Rachael Flatt. "I feel honored to be here and be a part of these big events in our little Olympic Village. I get so excited for the skaters when they do a good program and the ice is full of stuffed animals."

Yani Papadakos, an 11-year-old member of the Skating Club of New York, joined a handful of male skaters, and together they "swept" for the men's events. Papadakos, of Rochester, N.Y., skates in Lake Placid in the summer and in Amherst N.Y., during the winter. While skating in Lake Placid, skating director Mary Elizabeth Wightman asked him if he wanted to volunteer for Skate America.

"My answer was, 'Pack my bags and let's go,' " Papadakos said.

While almost all the sweepers agreed that meeting the world-class skaters and watching them perform was the most exciting part of the event, each had his or her personal favorites. For identical twins Ruby and Lucy Seavey, who train in Lake Placid during the summer, the highlight of the week was presenting gift bags to Japan's Fumie Suguri.

Yanni Papdakos picks up a football during the men's free skate. (Photo by Joanne Vassallo Jamrosz)

Papadakos will never forget meeting eventual Skate America champion and reigning World champion Evan Lysacek.

"I really like Evan," Papadakos said. "I have met him several times before in New York City, and he's really cool."

Timmy Ryan, 12, of the Mount Washington Valley Skating Club, in Conway, N.H., used his time as a sweeper to "observe" the competitive skaters.

"Just to be out there and see what the skaters do before they get out and skate was great," Ryan said. "I was very excited about being able to be on the same ice as skaters doing quad jumps, because my favorite part about skating is doing death drops, flying spins, double jumps and HUGE Axels."

The Skate America ice sweepers wore costumes designed by Italian national champion and Olympic competitor Silvia Fontana. Fontana designs her own line of skating clothes through her clothing line Karisma.

Meeting world competitors and watching them at Skate America provided plenty of memories for all the sweepers, many of whom vowed they would one day be on the ice at international competitions.

"I have skated on the same ice as champions," said Samantha Steeman, of the Washington Figure Skating Club in Yorktown, Va. "Hopefully, I will be one myself someday."

Billera shares Steeman's aspirations.
br> She said, "I hope to one day be able to represent the USA in an international competition. I know it takes a lot of hard work to be a top skater, and it helps you train so much better when you can actually see all the greatest skaters in the world."