Latest news with #BrianBoitano
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tribute airing Sunday honors those killed on plane out of Wichita
The video linked to this story aired on March 2, 2025. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — This Sunday, Kansans can watch some of America's best figure skaters pay tribute to the victims of the aviation tragedy involving a plane from Wichita. American Airlines Flight 5342 was attempting to land in Washington, D.C., when it crashed with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29. Sixty-seven people died, including 28 members of the figure skating community. Wichita had hosted the figure skating national championships the week before the flight. Some skaters, family members and coaches had stayed longer to attend a development camp at Wichita Ice Center. On March 2, U.S. Figure Skating and Monumental Sports & Entertainment hosted 'Legacy on Ice,' a figure skating tribute and benefit in Washington, D.C., to support the families and loved ones affected by the tragedy. NBC is airing an encore of the benefit this Sunday, March 30, at noon on KSN. Tears flow at a poignant figure skating event in Washington benefiting victims of the DC plane crash Olympic champion Brian Boitano co-hosted the event. Some of the skaters included: Ilia Malinin – Three-time U.S. champion, two-time ISU Grand Prix Final champion and 2024 World champion Amber Glenn –Two-time U.S. champion and 2024 ISU Grand Prix Final champion Madison Chock and Evan Bates – Six-time U.S. ice dance champions, two-time World ice dance champions and 2022 Olympic figure skating team champions Alysa Liu – Two-time U.S. champion, 2025 U.S silver medalist and 2022 World bronze medalist Tara Lipinski – U.S. champion, World champion and 1998 Olympic champion Kristi Yamaguchi – U.S champion, World champion and 1992 Olympic champion Scott Hamilton – Four-time U.S. champion, four-time World champion and 1984 Olympic champion Johnny Weir – Three-time U.S. champion and two-time Olympian The show also honors the first responders and aviation professionals who helped after the crash. The benefit has already raised $1.2 million, which will be split between the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund, Greater Washington Community Foundation's 'DCA Together Relief Fund,' and D.C. Fire & EMS Foundation. You can still donate online. Click here to learn more. Also, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation (MSEF) opened a benefit auction that will remain open through the encore presentation. All proceeds will benefit the families and first responders impacted by the tragedy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tears flow at a poignant figure skating event in Washington benefiting victims of the DC plane crash
WASHINGTON (AP) — A star-studded group of some of the best U.S. figure skaters of the past and present took the ice Sunday in the nation's capital to remember and raise money for the victims of the midair collision outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. American icons of the sport Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano emceed the Legacy on Ice benefit event, which included performances by the likes of Johnny Weir, two-time U.S. champion Amber Glenn and reigning men's world champion Ilia Malinin, along with poignant tributes to the 67 people who died when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the Potomac River on Jan. 29. That included 28 members of the figure skating community, some of whom lived and trained in the Washington area. 'We are not powerless,' Boitano said in opening the show. 'As skaters, we learned to be resilient and to always find a path forward that is positive.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Ted Leonsis, head of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which staged the event along with U.S. Figure Skating, DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Greater Washington Community Foundation, hopes doing this at Capital One Arena helps families in the healing process the way concerts and sports at Madison Square Garden did in New York in 2001 after 9/11. 'Sports can play this convening and healing role,' Leonsis said. 'Our goal is to allow the community to heal, kind of a collective hug for these communities, but then we want to raise a lot of money." The dasher boards had 67 stars, one for each of the victims, and skaters put flowers on a rinkside table of candles before beginning their routines. 'We're all here to support one another, whether it was our friends that were on that plane, family members, coaches, teammates, loved ones,' said 2014 Olympic team bronze medalist Jason Brown, who skated to 'The Impossible Dream' by Josh Groban. 'We all travel for this sport. We get to do what we love. And travel is such a huge part of what we do, so it all hit us really hard because this is just such an integral part of what we do, as well as those are people that we're closest to.' Glenn kicked things off by performing to Andra Day's 'Rise Up' and broke down in tears at center ice when she finished. Weir, whose family moved to Newark, Delaware, when he was 12 for him to pursue his skating career, dedicated his performance to the members of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club who were on American Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, following a national development camp there coinciding with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic champion, said she hopes the event 'will heal and give strength to our skaters in the future.' Alysa Liu wants to try to honor the memory of those lost so she 'can keep going.' 'It's still a struggle and was a struggle,' said Liu, who performed to 'Hero' by Mariah Carey. 'Coming together and seeing everyone again has definitely been the most reassuring feeling. And it's just because everyone knows exactly how everyone feels. I think we get each other, and it's nice that we get to just do what we love." Forty-one years after winning gold at the Olympics, Scott Hamilton skated onto the ice and led a prayer. Fans lit the arena with their cellphones for a lengthy moment of silence that was pierced by a low murmur of crying. Thirteen-year-old Isabella Aparicio skated in memory of her brother, Franco, and father, Luciano, who were on the flight, and wept on her knees at the conclusion of her performance. Maxim Naumov, who lost his parents in the crash, wiped away tears as he left the ice, holding up an electric candle as applause rained down. 'Imagine' blared from arena speakers during one ensemble performance, Malinin dazzled the crowd with his jump-filled routine and Lady Gaga's 'Hold My Hand' was the soundtrack of the grand finale of the emotional two-plus-hour show. 'Max skating under these circumstances was very courageous,' U.S. Figure Skating interim CEO Sam Auxier said. 'It was just an amazing show, and you could see even with Ilia the passion and the feelings about what happened coming through in their skating.' Members of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were among those in attendance a little over 24 hours after the Capitals promoted the event during their game Saturday by wearing Legacy on Ice decals on their helmets. So were hundreds of first responders and their family members, after some came from as far away as Baltimore to be part of the rescue and recovery efforts. 'This was an incredibly challenging scene for those first responders,' DC Fire and EMS Foundation executive director Amy Mauro said. 'The things that they witnessed are very difficult and will stay with them for a long time. This is part of their grieving and healing process, as well.' In addition to being a gathering place for figure skaters, first responders and all the families affected by the crash, the intent was to raise money for all of them. 'We've heard from the families about things like college tuition for young children who are in elementary school today but also things like therapy and health care that they need,' Monumental president of external affairs and chief administrative officer Monica Dixon said. 'Every family will choose how to use those funds in the best way that they choose.' The event aired live on Monumental Sports Network and streamed on Peacock. NBC will show an encore performance March 30. "That's what we're hoping: We raise a lot of donations that way," Leonsis said. 'People care. The lesson in this is that, to me, if you personalize something like this, you can come together and do the right things in the right way. I'm proud of what we've done.' ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tears flow at a poignant figure skating event in Washington benefiting victims of the DC plane crash
WASHINGTON (AP) — A star-studded group of some of the best U.S. figure skaters of the past and present took the ice Sunday in the nation's capital to remember and raise money for the victims of the midair collision outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. American icons of the sport Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano emceed the Legacy on Ice benefit event, which included performances by the likes of Johnny Weir, two-time U.S. champion Amber Glenn and reigning men's world champion Ilia Malinin, along with poignant tributes to the 67 people who died when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the Potomac River on Jan. 29. That included 28 members of the figure skating community, some of whom lived and trained in the Washington area. 'We are not powerless,' Boitano said in opening the show. 'As skaters, we learned to be resilient and to always find a path forward that is positive.' Ted Leonsis, head of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which staged the event along with U.S. Figure Skating, DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Greater Washington Community Foundation, hopes doing this at Capital One Arena helps families in the healing process the way concerts and sports at Madison Square Garden did in New York in 2001 after 9/11. 'Sports can play this convening and healing role,' Leonsis said. 'Our goal is to allow the community to heal, kind of a collective hug for these communities, but then we want to raise a lot of money." The dasher boards had 67 stars, one for each of the victims, and skaters put flowers on a rinkside table of candles before beginning their routines. Glenn kicked things off by performing to Andra Day's 'Rise Up' and broke down in tears at center ice when she finished. Weir, whose family moved to Newark, Delaware, when he was 12 for him to pursue his skating career, dedicated his performance to the members of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club who were on American Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, following a national development camp there coinciding with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic champion, said she hopes the event 'will heal and give strength to our skaters in the future.' Alysa Liu wants to try to honor the memory of those lost so she 'can keep going.' 'It's still a struggle and was a struggle,' said Liu, who performed to 'Hero' by Mariah Carey. 'Coming together and seeing everyone again has definitely been the most reassuring feeling. And it's just because everyone knows exactly how everyone feels. I think we get each other, and it's nice that we get to just do what we love." Forty-one years after winning gold at the Olympics, Scott Hamilton skated onto the ice and led a prayer. Fans lit the arena with their cellphones for a lengthy moment of silence that was pierced by a low murmur of crying. Thirteen-year-old Isabella Aparicio skated in memory of her brother, Franco, and father, Luciano, who were on the flight, and wept on her knees at the conclusion of her performance. Maxim Naumov, who lost his parents in the crash, wiped away tears as he left the ice, holding up an electric candle as applause rained down. 'Imagine' blared from arena speakers during one ensemble performance, Malinin dazzled the crowd with his jump-filled routine and Lady Gaga's 'Hold My Hand' was the soundtrack of the grand finale of the emotional two-plus-hour show. 'We're all here to support one another, whether it was our friends that were on that plane, family members, coaches, teammates, loved ones,' said 2014 Olympic team bronze medalist Jason Brown, who skated to 'The Impossible Dream' by Josh Groban. 'In skating, especially, we're all so interconnected. We all travel for this sport. We get to do what we love. And travel is such a huge part of what we do, so it all hit us really hard because this is just such an integral part of what we do, as well as those are people that we're closest to.' Members of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were among those in attendance a little over 24 hours after the Capitals promoted the event during their game Saturday by wearing Legacy on Ice decals on their helmets. So were hundreds of first responders and their family members, after some came from as far away as Baltimore to be part of the rescue and recovery efforts. 'This was an incredibly challenging scene for those first responders,' DC Fire and EMS Foundation executive director Amy Mauro said. 'The things that they witnessed are very difficult and will stay with them for a long time. This is part of their grieving and healing process, as well.' In addition to being a gathering place for figure skaters, first responders and all the families affected by the crash, the intent was to raise money for all of them. 'We've heard from the families about things like college tuition for young children who are in elementary school today but also things like therapy and health care that they need,' Monumental president of external affairs and chief administrative officer Monica Dixon said. 'Every family will choose how to use those funds in the best way that they choose.' The event aired live on Monumental Sports Network and streamed on Peacock. NBC will show an encore performance March 30. "That's what we're hoping: We raise a lot of donations that way," Leonsis said. 'People care. The lesson in this is that, to me, if you personalize something like this, you can come together and do the right things in the right way. I'm proud of what we've done.' ___ AP sports:
Associated Press
02-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Tears flow at a poignant figure skating event in Washington benefiting victims of the DC plane crash
WASHINGTON (AP) — A star-studded group of some of the best U.S. figure skaters of the past and present took the ice Sunday in the nation's capital to remember and raise money for the victims of the midair collision outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. American icons of the sport Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano emceed the Legacy on Ice benefit event, which included performances by the likes of Johnny Weir, two-time U.S. champion Amber Glenn and reigning men's world champion Ilia Malinin, along with poignant tributes to the 67 people who died when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the Potomac River on Jan. 29. That included 28 members of the figure skating community, some of whom lived and trained in the Washington area. 'We are not powerless,' Boitano said in opening the show. 'As skaters, we learned to be resilient and to always find a path forward that is positive.' Ted Leonsis, head of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which staged the event along with U.S. Figure Skating, DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Greater Washington Community Foundation, hopes doing this at Capital One Arena helps families in the healing process the way concerts and sports at Madison Square Garden did in New York in 2001 after 9/11. 'Sports can play this convening and healing role,' Leonsis said. 'Our goal is to allow the community to heal, kind of a collective hug for these communities, but then we want to raise a lot of money.' The dasher boards had 67 stars, one for each of the victims, and skaters put flowers on a rinkside table of candles before beginning their routines. Glenn kicked things off by performing to Andra Day's 'Rise Up' and broke down in tears at center ice when she finished. Weir, whose family moved to Newark, Delaware, when he was 12 for him to pursue his skating career, dedicated his performance to the members of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club who were on American Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, following a national development camp there coinciding with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic champion, said she hopes the event 'will heal and give strength to our skaters in the future.' Alysa Liu wants to try to honor the memory of those lost so she 'can keep going.' 'It's still a struggle and was a struggle,' said Liu, who performed to 'Hero' by Mariah Carey. 'Coming together and seeing everyone again has definitely been the most reassuring feeling. And it's just because everyone knows exactly how everyone feels. I think we get each other, and it's nice that we get to just do what we love.' Forty-one years after winning gold at the Olympics, Scott Hamilton skated onto the ice and led a prayer. Fans lit the arena with their cellphones for a lengthy moment of silence that was pierced by a low murmur of crying. Thirteen-year-old Isabella Aparicio skated in memory of her brother, Franco, and father, Luciano, who were on the flight, and wept on her knees at the conclusion of her performance. Maxim Naumov, who lost his parents in the crash, wiped away tears as he left the ice, holding up an electric candle as applause rained down. 'Imagine' blared from arena speakers during one ensemble performance, Malinin dazzled the crowd with his jump-filled routine and Lady Gaga's 'Hold My Hand' was the soundtrack of the grand finale of the emotional two-plus-hour show. 'We're all here to support one another, whether it was our friends that were on that plane, family members, coaches, teammates, loved ones,' said 2014 Olympic team bronze medalist Jason Brown, who skated to 'The Impossible Dream' by Josh Groban. 'In skating, especially, we're all so interconnected. We all travel for this sport. We get to do what we love. And travel is such a huge part of what we do, so it all hit us really hard because this is just such an integral part of what we do, as well as those are people that we're closest to.' Members of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals were among those in attendance a little over 24 hours after the Capitals promoted the event during their game Saturday by wearing Legacy on Ice decals on their helmets. So were hundreds of first responders and their family members, after some came from as far away as Baltimore to be part of the rescue and recovery efforts. 'This was an incredibly challenging scene for those first responders,' DC Fire and EMS Foundation executive director Amy Mauro said. 'The things that they witnessed are very difficult and will stay with them for a long time. This is part of their grieving and healing process, as well.' In addition to being a gathering place for figure skaters, first responders and all the families affected by the crash, the intent was to raise money for all of them. 'We've heard from the families about things like college tuition for young children who are in elementary school today but also things like therapy and health care that they need,' Monumental president of external affairs and chief administrative officer Monica Dixon said. 'Every family will choose how to use those funds in the best way that they choose.' The event aired live on Monumental Sports Network and streamed on Peacock. NBC will show an encore performance March 30. 'That's what we're hoping: We raise a lot of donations that way,' Leonsis said. 'People care. The lesson in this is that, to me, if you personalize something like this, you can come together and do the right things in the right way. I'm proud of what we've done.'
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Legacy on Ice' will honor DC plane crash victims at Capitol One Arena
The Brief This Sunday, March 2, the community will gather to honor the victims of the D.C. plane crash. 'Legacy on Ice' will be held from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. at at Capitol One Arena. Tickets are still available. You can also watch live on Peacock or Monumental Sports Network. WASHINGTON - It has been a month since the mid-air collision over the Potomac River killed 67 people and this Sunday, the community will honor the lives lost with a 'Legacy on Ice' tribute at Capital One Arena. They're coming together in hopes of helping the families left behind — many of those that died in the crash were from right here in the DMV and many of them from the figure skating community that trained in the area. What we know Monumental Sports is joining together with Entertainment Gang and U.S. Figure Skating for a tribute that unites skating legends, hosted by Brian Boitano and Christi Yamaguchi. Others that will be performing include Ilia Malinin, Tara Lipinski, Nancy Kerrigan and Scott Hamilton. Of the 67 victims in the crash, 28 of them were traveling home after attending a national development camp for young skaters in Wichita, Kansas. Many of those young skaters had Olympic dreams — lives taken too soon. Sunday will honor their talent but the fundraiser is to support all of those lost in the crash and the many first responders and aviation professionals who worked tirelessly in the aftermath. Pulling It Off Putting on a production of this level has been challenging in such a short time but all involved say they are determined to make as much of an impact as they can. "It was incredible because there are so many different people engaged in the figure skating community. The production community, the two foundations that we're working with — all to come together, to get an agreement, to get the tickets out and start the fundraising," said Monica Dixon, President of External Affairs for Monumental Sports. "Knowing that having everyone here together, we're going to start healing. Sports brings communities together." There will be representation from all the sporting teams in the area while they are expecting about 17,000 or 18,000 attendees. Get Involved Tickets are still available here. Those who can't attend but still want to contribute can donate and bid on auction items.
