Clubs Come Together to Celebrate RISE

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

The Starlights juvenile team poses under a RISE banner. (Photo by Jane Fiore)

When the Starlights synchronized skating teams learned that the cinematic feature RISE would be playing at a theater near their rink, they knew they wanted to see it together. They also wanted to host a special fundraiser in conjunction with the one-night-only event and raise money for the U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund.

After discussing several options for fundraising, the Starlights teams, who represent the Skokie Valley Figure Skating Club, decided to hold an online auction. Items up for bid include a week at Miami University's "Elite Synchronized Skating Camp;" VIP tickets to Stars on Ice; skating equipment, including Paramount blades and Riedell boots and blades; and skating memorabilia, including an article of clothing from Rachael Flatt's 2010 Olympics wardrobe.

"An online auction is exposed to more people that just those who attend the event and can run longer than a live event," Starlights parent volunteer Jane Fiore said.

Many clubs throughout the country are combining the premiere of RISE with events such as fundraisers, dinners, Red Carpets and "meet-and-greet" events.

The Utah Figure Skating Club is busy selling tickets to its premiere night VIP event that will take place after the film at the Pizza Factory. Skating stars Jozef Sabovcik of Slovakia, the 1984 Olympic bronze medalist, and Holly Cook Tanner, the 1990 U.S. and World bronze medalist, will mingle with the guests in attendance, as will local skaters. The club will also display scrapbooks for people to view, as part of the "60 Years of Skating in Utah" celebration it's holding throughout the year.

"The Utah Figure Skating Club is very excited to celebrate with our community the stories and inspiration of RISE," club president Michelle Thomson said.

The Ozark Figure Skating Club began its charter in 1997, at one of only two rinks in the state of Arkansas. When the club heard that RISE was not scheduled to show in its area, it immediately went to work to premiere the film.

"We worked the headquarters of our local movie theater and were able to get them to bring the movie to our area," club president Robin M. Johnson said.

Ozark FSC skating director Jennifer Kelly also suggested the club meet for dinner at a local gourmet pizza parlor before the event.

"We feel it's important to meet and do things outside the rink," Johnson said. "It helps get to know people on a different level and bond our skating family."

At the Jacksonville Ice learn-to-skate program in Jacksonville, Fla., members have tied the premiere of RISE to their newly formed social network "Blade Buddies." Created in November, "Blade Buddies" gives skaters and their friends and families an opportunity to get together in a social setting that is not skating related.

The night of the RISE premiere, the "Blade Buddies" will have a table set up at the nearby Tinseltown Theater, and a figure skating table will be located in front of the theater.

"Our Blade Buddies network is now over 150 members, and we felt RISE was a good fit, as we can get together as a group and give our skaters a little piece of history as well," said, Mark Scheff, general manager of Jacksonville Ice.

Skaters at the Youngstown Phantoms Figure Skating Club in Boardman, Ohio, are also getting together before the film for a Red Carpet event the skaters have been preparing since May. "The figure skating club has over 50 members of all ages, and when I heard of the event, we wanted to offer skaters a chance to learn about the event that reshaped the sport after the 1961 crash, in which nearly all the major world-class skaters and coaches perished," skating director Skip Mackall said.

While raising awareness of local clubs and programs is an important aspect of all these events, the overreaching goal is to educate the skating community and the general public about the events that happened 50 years ago this week.

Ozark FSC President Robin Johnson said, "I don't know that our skaters understand the blow that was dealt to our sport with the plane crash, and this will be a lesson in history, our sport and, most of all, how to overcome."