2012 "Skate for Hope" benefit show - June 16 in Columbus, Ohio

[Sylvia]

Official site with event/ticket info: http://www.skateforhope.org/site/Pag...gename=general

Cast of 2012 headliner skaters: http://www.skateforhope.org/site/Pag...ame=Headliners

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/skateforhope

Caitlin Yankowskas tweeted this photo of a group rehearsal yesterday (her & Josh Reagan, Emily Samuelson/Todd Gilles, Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier and choreographer Kate McSwain): http://twitter.com/#!/CaitsYankowska...961408/photo/1

[Garden Kitty]

I've been in the past and it's always a great show for a wonderful cause. The show is a nice mix of headliners and skaters of all ranges. If anyone can make it, I'd highly recommend the show!

[Sylvia]

Tweeted by @skateforhope:
"SFH is on Groupon today & tomorrow only! Don't miss getting the best seats at the best price! Join us June"
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-skate-for-hope

Promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd82oC_0Ug8

[Rochelle]

Thank you for sharing notice about the Groupon -- I have several skating friends who live within a 3 hours drive of Columbus, so I can help spread the word on social media as well.

It's a great deal, for a great show, for a good cause. I've attended two years in the past, and will be taking my mother (Mother's Day gift) again this year. There's a nice mix of the headliner solos, group numbers for lower level local skaters and adults, and nice tributes to skater's relatives that have survived cancer.

[Tony Wheeler]

Yikes. It's sad to see that the prices have dropped this low for a show in my current city. However, I think one of the major problems that it has had for at least the last two years and yet again this year is that it takes place the exact same day as Columbus Pride. The Parade is only a few hours before the show, and the whole weekend has turned out to be one of the bigger LGBT festivals in the midwest (Columbus got voted as the top up and coming gay city by the Advocate or some other magazine just last year IIRC). It attracts people from all over the place, and the festivities start bright and early. This also is the starting weekend for several big events in Columbus throughout summer (Comfest the following weekend, Doo Dah and Red White & Boom a few weeks later, etc.)

If I were Skate for Hope, I'd try to get the event a weekend before Pride. I attended in 2010, and even with Johnny Weir as the headliner, it wasn't a very crowded arena.

[Sylvia]

Bumping up for the show this Saturday... hoping there will be reports, photos and/or videos!

[Rochelle]

Is anyone else attending?

Anyone?

If not, I can give a basic report back on the overall performances. I don't do pictures and videos, since I like to... you know... actually watch the skating as it's happening live before me. But if someone else from here is attending and planning on giving a report, I'll gladly pass.

[Artistic Skaters]

I'm going! First, drag queens at the Pride parade (oh so pretty!), then lunch at the Clever Crow in the North Market (good pizza approved by Anthony Bourdain). A couple handcrafted brews & it's showtime! Such a fun day.

[mgobluegirl]

I'd like to go maybe, but I don't have anyone to go with. FSU meet-up, anyone?

[leapfrogonice]

I'm not sure I see why coincident scheduling of this event with the Pride weekend would be problematic.

[maureenfarone]

I'm not sure I see why coincident scheduling of this event with the Pride weekend would be problematic.

I'm not in Columbus, but my guess is that streets/roads will be blocked off to allow for the parade to pass which will make getting to the Nationwide Arena more difficult. I also heard from a friend that a parking garage is being built near the Arena which has reduced the parking spaces available due to construction. Since more people will probably be parking in the area to attend the parade (to participate or watch), that could impact available parking for the skating event. Just a guess on my part!

[Sylvia]

Good for Rachael! http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs...art_arena.html

Rachael Flatt, former US National Champion, World Junior Champion and 2010 Olympic competitor will host this seminar on Friday, June 15 at Hobart Arena in Troy. Proceeds from Skate for Hope are donated to the Stefanie Spielman Fund at the Ohio State University James Cancer Center and the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.

Rachael answered a fan letter from Julia Lukacs, a 13 year old South Dayton figure skater, asking her to conduct a seminar if ever she was in the area. Six months later, Rachael will be in Columbus performing in the “Skate for Hope” fundraiser and she offered to teach a seminar for her young fan and the two figure skating clubs [South Dayton Figure Skating Club & Troy Skating Club].

Enjoy the show Rochelle & Artistic Skaters (and HeatherC, too)! mgobluegirl, I hope you decide to go as well!

[manleywoman]

Yikes. It's sad to see that the prices have dropped this low for a show in my current city. However, I think one of the major problems that it has had for at least the last two years and yet again this year is that it takes place the exact same day as Columbus Pride. The Parade is only a few hours before the show, and the whole weekend has turned out to be one of the bigger LGBT festivals in the midwest (Columbus got voted as the top up and coming gay city by the Advocate or some other magazine just last year IIRC). It attracts people from all over the place, and the festivities start bright and early. This also is the starting weekend for several big events in Columbus throughout summer (Comfest the following weekend, Doo Dah and Red White & Boom a few weeks later, etc.)

If I were Skate for Hope, I'd try to get the event a weekend before Pride. I attended in 2010, and even with Johnny Weir as the headliner, it wasn't a very crowded arena.

Well, since the organizer is doing her best to save money and not spend it, I suspect that the date of SFH was the cheapest date she could get the arena. And that may be because the Parade is the same day. Just a guess, but I do know she's good at making sure to keep expenses down.

[Rochelle]

A Columbus Dispatch article:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stor...undraiser.html

For months, 8-year-old Serafina Rees has kept a big secret from her mom.

Michele Rees knows that her daughter will perform at Skate for Hope, the annual figure-skating show and breast-cancer fundraiser at Nationwide Arena.

But not until the show on Saturday will she learn of her daughter’s skating partner: Olympian Emily Hughes, whose mother faced breast cancer when she was about Serafina’s age. (To maintain the surprise, Rees agreed not to read this story until after the show.)

After the two perform to the Christina Perri song A Thousand Years, Serafina will skate to the audience to give a rose and a hug to her mother, whose stage III breast cancer was diagnosed in 2010.

“She’s going to cry,” said Serafina, who recently finished second grade at Wickliffe Progressive Community School in Upper Arlington. ...

[Garden Kitty]

How sweet of Rachael to do the seminar and to respond to a young fan like that. I can't make it this year, but I'd encourage anyone who can to attend.

It's great to see the elite skaters, but the performances from groups of younger skaters and adult skaters are wonderful too. The whole show has a really great atmosphere and it's nice to see the guest skaters interact with all the other skaters as well. Everyone just seems to be having such a great time. The " single ladies" number last year was especially fun.

And last year all the skaters stayed for a long time after the show signing autographs and taking pictures which was very sweet of them as well.

[Artistic Skaters]

Just a guess on my part!

There is always plenty of parking available in downtown Columbus on the weekends. There are large lots to the west of Nationwide Arena & parking garages to the south. Mainly the High St area is blocked off during the parade which starts at 12:00, so it will be over long before the skating show; and the actual festival is farther north at Goodale Park.

There are always many events going on in this area because of the arena, convention center, Short North, etc. Short term parking in Short North can be a problem, but there are plenty of spaces south of that area.

I love the Pride parade with the corporate sponsored floats with their employees marching & all the church groups from all over the state. I'm glad they have it the same weekend as the skating show. The show organizers could probably come up with a way to sell more tickets to the Pride attendees with a little better advertising.

Come to the show out-of-towners!

[Meredith]

There is always plenty of parking available in downtown Columbus on the weekends. There are large lots to the west of Nationwide Arena & parking garages to the south. Mainly the High St area is blocked off during the parade which starts at 12:00, so it will be over long before the skating show; and the actual festival is farther north at Goodale Park.

I live near and work in Columbus and totally agree with the Artistic Skaters. A lot of planning went into providing ample parking near Nationwide arena. If you can't find space in a local lot, you should easily find in a parking garage. It's a great venue.

For out-of-towners, there are a lot of restaurant choices in the surrounding blocks. The weather is lovely, and the area is safe.

Have a wonderful time! I'll be at the beach in South Carolina or I would so be there.

[Sylvia]

Local TV news story about Rachael Flatt's skating seminar held yesterday in Troy, Ohio (mentioned above in post #12): http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/m...meets-her-idol

Doug Mattis is hosting today's show - a bunch of short backstage videos and practice clips can be viewed here: http://www.skatingcircle.com/videos/most_recent

[shan]

I can't wait to hear reports from this show. I'm particularly interested in the debut of Yankowskas/Reagan (I think it's their debut, right?)

[HeatherC]

I guess I'm the first person to chime in with a report and I'll do my best without having the program right near me, LOL

I thought the show was fantastic and overall the headliners and lower level skaters all looked like they were having a blast. There were a couple of cute group numbers to some of the more popular music out right now (my fave was the group number to "Starships" which was really good and another group did a cute number to "That's What Makes You Beautiful") and a few other numbers that were for specific things. A few skaters got to give flowers to special guests which was really sweet. At one point during that, I noticed that someone in the front row across from us had a laptop on and there was a face moving around on the screen. Mom and I think it was this one group of sisters' father who wasn't able to make the show so they skyped him in so he could see his girls skate. I'm not 100% sure but it looked like he might be in the armed forces and stationed away from Ohio. If anyone can shed light on that I'd love to hear about it. It was really sweet to see them all crowded around the computer waving at him!

As far as headliners, I thought Emily Hughes looked pretty good overall for probably not skating much lately. I enjoyed Alexe Gilles' program although she had a fall on a 3T (I think...it was at the other end of the rink and I missed the takeoff) and her number also had a live performer (her non skating sister who did a fantastic job). Piper and Paul did what I think was a shortened version of their FD from last year (it was mainly to "Pure Imagination" with one other song mixed in) and I really enjoyed them. I hadn't seen them perform live yet and was quite impressed. I look forward to seeing what they come up with for next season. Adam Rippon skated his Rach exhibition program with a perfect Rippon Lutz and a couple of other nice jumps (LOVE that program). Rachel Flatt skated an upbeat exhibition which was a lot of fun although she also had a random fall on a triple (again at the other end of the rink, LOL). Caitlin and Josh looked pretty good together for not having performed anywhere before tonight. I'm not certain but their program could have been a modified version of what their SP will be this year (the element layout sure felt very SP-ish to me) but I can't remember the music choice. They did a nice throw, side by side 3T (Caitlin fell but the rink was smaller for this show and I think she rushed it), gorgeous death spiral, a pairs spin, and a few fun dancey type lifts throughout. I thought they looked great together although Josh sure looked a bit nervous! I spoke to Caitlin after the show for a bit and she confirmed that they were doing Skate Detroit later this summer but wasn't sure about the Indy Challenge yet. Anyone going to Detroit, make a note that Caitlin & Josh should be there! Ashley Wagner looked every bit the champion in her program (she did her "Your Song" program that she skated during CSOI this past spring) and didn't miss anything. Loved seeing that program again and she looked like she was having a blast. Jeremy Abbott skated his "I Won't Give Up" program (again from CSOI) and since I knew I probably wouldn't get many good pictures of Jeremy during the program (he's almost as bad as Jeff Buttle with trying to get pictures because he never really stops moving, LOL ), I videotaped his program which I'll upload to You Tube sometime tomorrow. He skated very well although he had a random fall which was ALSO at the other end of the rink. I think that part of the rink was cursed for a few skaters, LOL Caitlin & Josh and Piper & Paul did a very cute little group type number to "Sway" in the second act which was very enjoyable (apparently they worked on it together in Michigan before they came here this weekend). Alexe, Rachel, Emily S., and Emily H all did a cute group number together but they forgot to put some lights on during the first part of it and Emily S. probably freaked out a bit since she was totally in the dark at one point! Mary Beth and Rockne skated a very cute number and look a lot more like a team now that they've had even more time together. I think their music was a Louis Armstrong medley. Lee Harris, a former US pair competitor, skated a really moving number in honor of his mom (a breast cancer survivor) and Caitlin skated with him for a little bit of it. It was really sweet. One odd thing: Emily S. and Todd did NOT skate a solo spot in the show but appeared together in both the opening and finale (and were listed in the program to do a solo spot). I have no idea what's going on there but mom and I found that very odd. I spoke to her after the show too and nothing seemed odd but I didn't feel right asking her too much so I'm still at a loss. They seemed to be on good terms (saw them laughing and talking during the post show stuff) so there's this year's mystery I guess.

We waited around for a bit after the show and I was able to get pictures with Ashley, Jeremy, Adam, Emily S., Piper & Paul, and Caitlin. I congratulated Ashley on both her US title and her 4CC title and said we enjoyed being there to see them both in person. She thought that was very cool. I mentioned to Jeremy that I've actually been to all of the US Nats where he's won the gold medal and he thought that was awesome. Then as he skated away he was like, "So you're also coming to Sochi then, right?!" and we all cracked up laughing. I joked that I would do my best to be there so if anyone wants to donate to my new "Heather Needs to Go to Sochi for Jeremy" fund, please contact me via PM anytime in the near future, LOL

I got some great pictures from the show but I'll upload those tomorrow. I'm too tired to go through everything tonight. Hope everyone else who was able to go had a great time too!