- The Legacy on Ice profit event featuring US figure skating stars paid tribute to the 67 people who died when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the Potomac River on January 29th.
- The skaters described both the difficulty of dealing with the tragedy and the sense of community support they gained from the event. Some people shed tears during or after a performance.
- The purpose of the event was to raise funds for figure skaters, first responders, and all families affected by the crash.
Maxim Naumov cried on his knees at the end of his performance in honor of his parents, slipping from the ice and tears squealing with an electric candle as applause rained. Amber Glenn broke down when he finished skating, and 13-year-old Isabella Aparicio, who was performing in memory of her brother Franco and her father Luciano, also broke down.
“There were no dry eyes found anywhere,” said skater Madison Chock.
The crying low tweet thrusts a long moment of silence as fans ignite the arena on their mobile phones and rides a wave of emotions through an emotional figure skating show in the capital on Sunday, in an effort to fire the arena and raise funds for the victims of an air collision outside the Washington National Airport.
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The Legacy on Ice profit event featured a star-studded group of the best figure skaters of the past and present, to pay tribute to the 67 people who died when an Army helicopter collided with a flight of American Airlines and crashed into the Potomac River on January 29th.
“Everyone is saddened in their own way, and last month it's really challenging for many people to tackle the magnitude of this loss,” said Evan Bates, who won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2022 with Chock. ”
The American icon of sports has earned shows that include performances by Glenn, Johnny Weir and world champion Ilia Marinin, among others, and has given him an emotional respect for his victims.
Max Naumov will support aviation incidents outside the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in a full-blown respect for his influenced family and loved ones on January 29, 2025, after performing in Washington at the Legacy on Ice event in Washington on March 2, 2025. (AP photo/Nick Wash)
“We are not helpless,” Boitano said as he opened the show. “As skaters, we've learned to be resilient and always find a way forward.”
Ted Leonsis, head of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, performed the event along with US figure skating, the DC Fire & EMS Foundation and the Greater Washington Community Foundation. By doing this at Capital One Arena, we hope that concerts and sports at Madison Square Garden from 9/11 onwards will support families in the healing process.
“Sports can play this calling and healing role,” Leonsis said. “Our goal is for our community to heal healing like the collective embrace of these communities, but we want to raise a lot of money.”
There were 67 stars on the dasher board, one for each victim, and the skater placed a flower on the candle link side table before beginning the routine.
“We're all here to support each other. It was friends who were that plane, family, coaches, teammates and loved ones,” said Jason Brown, a 2014 Olympic team bronze medalist, skating on Josh Groban's “Impossible Dream.” “We all travel for this sport. We can do what we love. And because travel is such a huge part of what we do, this is a very integral part of what we do and we are the people closest to us, we are all really struck us hard.”
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Glenn kicked things off by performing on Andorra Day's “Rise,” and shed tears in the ice in the center as she finished. Weir, whose family moved to Newark, Delaware, when he was 12 years old to pursue a skating career, dedicated his performance to a member of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, who was on American Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, on American Flight 5342, following the National Development Camp, in line with the US Figure Skating Championship.
“It was a very traumatic experience for me, and it was really devastating to hear it when it all happened, and I really wanted to have something that everyone remembers as a family. “Every day life is, every time we step on the ice, we always think about them. Every time we compete, they'll always be in our minds.”
1968 Olympic champion Peggy Fleming said he hopes the event will “help and empower future skaters.” Alisa Liu wants to honor the memories of those who have been lost, so she “can continue.”
“It was still a struggle, a struggle,” said Li, who played Mariah Carey's “Hero.” “It was definitely the most encouraging feeling to get together and see everyone again, and that's because everyone knows exactly how everyone feels.”
Ilia Malinin will perform at the Legacy On Ice event in Washington on March 2, 2025. This is a homage to figure skating to support affected families and loved ones on January 29, 2025, an aerial collision beyond DC (AP photo/Nick Wash)
Forty-one years after winning gold at the Olympics, Scott Hamilton slid over the ice to lead a prayer. Blazing “imaginations” from arena speakers during the ensemble performance, Marinin captivated the crowd with her jump-filled routine, and Lady Gaga's “Hand” was the soundtrack for the grand finale of the show, over two hours of emotional.
“It was just a great show,” said Sam Orchie, interim CEO of figure skating in the US. “Even Ilia could see the passion and feelings about what happened on their skating.”
Among the sold-out crowd of over 15,000 people were hundreds of first responders and their families. Some came from far from Baltimore and became part of rescue and recovery efforts.
“This was a very challenging scene for these first responders,” said Amy Mauro, executive director of the DC Fire and EMS Foundation. “What they witness is very difficult and will be with them for a long time. This is also part of their grief and healing process.”
In addition to being a gathering for figure skaters, first responders, and all families affected by the crash, it was about raising funds for all of them.
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“We've heard from our families about not only university tuition fees for young children in elementary school today, but also about the kind of treatment and health care they need,” said Monica Dixon, the monumental president of diplomacy and chief administrative officer. “All families choose how to use those funds in the best way they choose.”
The event was broadcast live on the monumental sports network and streamed on the Peacock. NBC will perform for the encore on March 30th.
“That's what we want. We raise a lot of donations like that,” Leonsis said. “People care. The lesson of this is, for me, if you personalize something like this, you can come together and do the right thing.”
