"Legacy on Ice" benefit show in D.C. (March 2, 2025) and ways to help those affected by the air tragedy over the Potomac River

[ice coverage]

US Figure Skating posted a video message from US Olympic Champions with a link to the fundraising site. It starts with Dick Button so this was obviously filmed by the various participants over time.

It is Hayes Alan Jenkins who starts off the the newly published video from Olympic champions from Team USA figure skating.
(Dick Button is not in the video.)

Very nice to see the support from all the Olympic champions.

View this content on Instagram

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[BittyBug]

I believe that Dick Button died the day after the crash.

Nice to see Evan Lysacek in that clip as he seems to have otherwise moved on from the skating world.

 

[Garden Kitty]

Thanks for the correction. I was actually wondering why he wasn't in the video and agree it's nice to see everyone contribute.

 

[ice coverage]

Soon after the crash, Evan Lysacek shared many thoughts with People magazine.
His full comments at the link below are beautifully expressed.
(Sorry, I don't remember whether this article already was posted on FSU at the time.)

Young Skaters in D.C. Plane Crash 'Likely Felt Closer to Their Olympic Dream' Than Ever, Evan Lysacek Says (Exclusive)​

​

"This is devastating on every level," the 2010 gold medalist tells PEOPLE. "Our skating community mourns with the families of all the victims"​

​

"Beautiful souls have been lost, tremendous talent has been lost, bright futures have been lost, dreams have been lost," he tells PEOPLE​

“My heart breaks as I think of and relate so much to these promising young skaters and their parents,” he says​

​

Young Skaters in D.C. Plane Crash 'Likely Felt Closer to Their Olympic Dream' Than Ever, Evan Lysacek Says (Exclusive)

As a group of young figure skaters left Wichita, Kan., late on Wednesday, Jan. 29, they “likely felt closer to their Olympic dream than they ever had” before dying in a mid-air collision with an Army helicopter, 2010 gold medalist Evan Lysacek says

people.com

(Feb 2)​

 

[Karen-W]

It is Hayes Alan Jenkins who starts off the the newly published video from Olympic champions from Team USA figure skating.
(Dick Button is not in the video.)

Very nice to see the support from all the Olympic champions.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Well, no, it's only the individual event champions. Nice erasure of the 2022 Team Event Olympic Champions. Gotta wonder how that makes Madison Hubbell, Zach Donohue, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier, Vincent Zhou & Karen Chen feel to know they weren't included.

 

[ice coverage]

Well, no, it's on the individual event champions. Nice erasure of the 2022 Team Event Olympic Champions. Gotta wonder how that makes Madison Hubbell, Zach Donohue, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier, Vincent Zhou & Karen Chen feel to know they weren't included.

My guess would be that the 2022 Team Event gold medalists are feeling gracious and as supportive of the USFS family fund as ever.

On Feb 1, they* already made a joint show of support for the USFS family fund.

[ETA: *Along with all 2022 Olympic figure skaters from Team USA.]​

More about the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund:

In a comment on his own post, Nathan Chen says:​

"In partnership with the ‘22 [Olympic] team, an anonymous donor is matching up to $22,000 in donations to the fund. Thank you for your support "​

​

Nathan's post has a message from the entire 2022 U.S. Olympic team for figure skating, with handwritten signatures from each member (ETA: other teammates are posting the same message too):​

​

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

​

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFiULNmOXRt/​

 

[On My Own]

Well, no, it's on the individual event champions. Nice erasure of the 2022 Team Event Olympic Champions. Gotta wonder how that makes Madison Hubbell, Zach Donohue, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier, Vincent Zhou & Karen Chen feel to know they weren't included.

Because we all know this is about the Olympic Champions of United States of America, and not, you know, the victims or the memorial.

Much like we know the memorial was a forum for discussing the agenda behind including a Christian prayer and Imagine and what not.

 

[ice coverage]

deleted

 

[Karen-W]

My guess would be that the 2022 Team Event gold medalists are feeling gracious and as supportive of the USFS family fund as ever.

They already made a joint show of support for the USFS family fund.

I get that, but it still feels like a slight, the way this was presented.

 

[ice coverage]

I get that, but it still feels like a slight, the way this was presented.

I have edited my own wording in my post about who is in today's video. I did not intend any slight.

I do not think USFS intended any slight either -- and given the tragic reason for the video, I find it hard to believe that the reaction from Vincent, Karen, Madi H, Zachary, Madi C, Evan, Alexa, or Brandon would be to feel any slight.

 

[Karen-W]

Jackie Wong is reporting that the benefit has already raised $1.2 million dollars, and the online auction will continue through the month of March.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1896639884468838905

 

[AnnM]

This was also flashed on screen during yesterday's airing as a way to support the fund:

Ice Skate Gold Short Pendant Necklace | Kendra Scott

Buy Ice Skate Gold Short Pendant Necklace at KendraScott.

www.kendrascott.com

"From March 2-31, 100% of the preorder sales of the Ice Skate Pendant, up to a maximum of $100,000, will go to the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund through the Kendra Scott Foundation Sports Fund to assist the families impacted by the tragic aviation incident that occurred in Washington D.C. on Jan. 29, 2025."

 

[sheetz]

Scott Hamilton, Peggy Fleming, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and Nathan Chen appeared on the Today show this morning

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[sk8pics]

And I didn't get the "hosts were too perky" vibe, I think they were a bit happy to see the place so FULL. There were people in the RAFTERS! Up where you probably need supplemental oxygen!

From my vantage point in the arena I thought Scott in particular had way too wide of a grin on his face much of the time. Except when he had his head bowed and was going on and on and on.

That would have been difficult given so many faiths and those not of a religious faith. People who could accept Scott's prayer, did. People who didn't, likely didn't bow their head and were respectful. This is a country with freedom of speech and freedom of religion. We can respect everyone especially during a time of mourning during which people tend to turn toward their God, or some type of hope.

Yeah, this is all true, but I felt Scott overdid it. You can express your faith, share how you are mourning, without going on and on. There are also ways to do this that are more inclusive, but as others have said, that is evidently not how Scott would think of it. He could have offered a short prayer that made clear his faith and asked us for a moment of silence.

And the song that followed his prayer was Imagine by John Lennon, including imagine there is no heaven, hell or religion. I didn't get upset about that. It represented the beliefs of some people and the show was designed to represent as many people as possible.

Sometimes people are just skating to a song because they like the music. And sometimes people like the music when they say they like the song and maybe they’re not thinking too much about the words. I love Hallelujah, but it’s the music not the words.

You can reply with your thoughts, with no debate from me.

That was a very emotional show and I hope the participants gained some closure and healing. I definitely sobbed during a few of the performances, especially max with the scob skaters.

Regarding the prayer, as someone who is not Christian I found it incredibly inappropriate. I actually went back and listened so that I wasn’t just mad in the heat of the moment. Faith and spirituality is beautiful, and especially the community it brings together. It’s why the Ava Maria stuff does not bother me. That was the skaters expressing their own faith with no expectation that others need to also believe the same.

The issue with Scott’s prayer is that it is extremely non inclusive. He starts it with “our lord, our god, our savior” “to be absent with the body is to be present with the lord” he used a lot of we statements and that again makes the assumption that a 20,000 person arena shares his beliefs. It’s just disrespectful. it also just went on way too long. It also makes assumptions that all the families and people in mourning share his beliefs. There’s ways of showing faith that does not proselytize.

This. It was like he assumed that everyone else shared his faith. If you are speakng or preaching at a funeral service, that may be valid. In a setting like this? That’s a no from me.

I really enjoyed the show except for the very bright light that was shining into my eyes the whole entire time. I did not enjoy fighting my way through the crowds, but I am glad the show was so well attended.

About Max, it may sound corny, but I thought the sense of love from the audience raining down on him as he knelt, crying, after he finished, was palpable and amazing. Made me cry just a little bit.

 

[victorskid]

From Jackie Wong (via Bluesky)

Update from #LegacyOnIce

• Raised $1.2 million for the benefit
• Sellout event at Capital One Arena of 15,000+ people
• NBC broadcast on March 30 at 1pm ET+

Online auction open through April 3
www.monumentalsports.com/legacyoniceauction

 

[Nadya]

Lovely of them to recognize the first responders.

But kinda unlovely for them to walk off as soon as they could. I get that this is not really the target audience for skating shows but still...they couldn't wait to get out of there.

 

[Nadya]

That was a very emotional show and I hope the participants gained some closure and healing. I definitely sobbed during a few of the performances, especially max with the scob skaters.

Regarding the prayer, as someone who is not Christian I found it incredibly inappropriate. I actually went back and listened so that I wasn’t just mad in the heat of the moment. Faith and spirituality is beautiful, and especially the community it brings together. It’s why the Ava Maria stuff does not bother me. That was the skaters expressing their own faith with no expectation that others need to also believe the same.

The issue with Scott’s prayer is that it is extremely non inclusive. He starts it with “our lord, our god, our savior” “to be absent with the body is to be present with the lord” he used a lot of we statements and that again makes the assumption that a 20,000 person arena shares his beliefs. It’s just disrespectful. it also just went on way too long. It also makes assumptions that all the families and people in mourning share his beliefs. There’s ways of showing faith that does not proselytize.

I didn't like it either. I mean it's okay to pray quickly but his prayer had its own street address. I didn't have to hear it. I question the judgment of event producers that allowed it.

 

[ice coverage]

The USFS YouTube stream of "Legacy on Ice" is no longer geo-blocked in the US.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

And USFS channel now is in the process of adding separate YouTube videos of individual performances too.

So far, nine videos, starting with Amber. Viewable in the U.S.

 

[4rkidz]

Just watched it now and wow.. that was emotional. Hats off to all skaters I could feel their emotion through the screen and they all skated so beautifully. Max was incredible, to lose his parents and his coaches - I have been to many competitions where his dad was there coaching him and they looked so alike and his dad aging so well. The quality of the skating in show lights was impressive.

I would have been a blubbering mess if I was there live, but glad so many of you got to go. I think it is nice that worlds is in Boston as that should help emotionally Max and the other US skaters. Good job to the organizers and everyone who worked together, they did a great job.

 

[PRlady]

I was very surprised to see it covered tonight on PBS NewsHour, they have almost no sports coverage and do Very Serious topics. I really think the sellout crowd and all-star lineup made it a standout event.

 

[DreamSkates]

US Figure Skating posted a video message from US Olympic Champions with a link to the fundraising site.

Edited to fix mistake. Thank you, @ice coverage

Any idea how much was raised so far? I read that the supporting company donated $100,000.
I was very touched how they included first responders at the event and will share funds with them (for education and awareness?).

 

[MacMadame]

They're not exactly free from sex ...

And allegory and metaphor. According to Cohen, the song is both Biblical and about "the woman he slept with last night". But apparently he said different things in other interviews including that there are "different kinds of hallelujahs".

 

[Laura4]

i just watched the show and was so impressed and moved by Ilia Kulik’s performance. All jumps aside, he skated like he could still compete against today’s top skaters. I can’t believe he’s 47! The man skates like someone half his age. The other standout performances for me, besides the emotional and lovely skate by Maxim, were those of Jimmy Ma, Camden Pulkinen (loved his music), and Ilia Malinin.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

I don’t think the essay that I’m particularly thinking of is still online, but there’s some scholarship about Hallelujah and its blending of the sacred and the profane. In any case, seeing Leonard Cohen performing the song live with his band was a profound experience that none of the thousands of covers can ever come close to approaching.

 

[PRlady]

i just watched the show and was so impressed and moved by Ilia Kulik’s performance. All jumps aside, he skated like he could still compete against today’s top skaters. I can’t believe he’s 47! The man skates like someone half his age.

I wouldn’t have recognized that still-handsome man as the floppy-haired boy in the giraffe shirt. His skating skills are still lovely.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I did not realize this was a onPeacock and I’m watching it now. They were able to fill the stadium and put this together so quickly. So impressed.

Can’t believe I sat next to Peter Carruthers coming from skate America 20 years ago,

Oh my goodness now I’m watching Ilia Kulik. I saw him in the group number, and I was like who is that and now he was just introduced by Mr. debonair, and I would not recognize him any moment of the day.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I have to re-watch Ilia again, I don’t recognize him at all. I’m so glad to have this on Peacock.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I wish I would’ve seen this thread over the past month so I could’ve known more about this.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I just got through the whole part with Max, on my gosh I have tears. I don’t know how he got through that. I think I’ll have to stop and watch the rest of this tomorrow.

 

[misskarne]

I wouldn’t have recognized that still-handsome man as the floppy-haired boy in the giraffe shirt. His skating skills are still lovely.

I barely recognised him either. Then he started moving and I said, "ah, yes. That's him."

He did doubles in the program but Jackie reported he did triple toes in the warmup. Not bad for a guy who's nearly 50.

I watched some of the programs last night and absolutely sobbed watching Maxim. Especially at the beginning, where he was clearly taking his parents' hands.