Ice Skating Event Funds Cancer Research

Not even heavy rain could dampen the spirits of the almost 4,000 people who flocked to the Bright Hockey Center on Friday and Saturday nights for Eliot House’s 36th annual ice-skating charity benefit show, “An Evening with Champions.”

Skating celebrities and up-and-coming talents from the Boston area and throughout America donated their time to raise money for The Jimmy Fund, which supports efforts at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to fight children’s cancer.

This year’s Evening co-chairs Kierann E. Smith ’06 and Lauren E. Jones ’07 estimated that the production drew almost 4,000 to two performances on Friday and Saturday nights, raising between $35,000 and $40,000. The production has yielded a total of over $2.2 million in donations since 1970.

The event featured Russian husband- wife duo and Olympic gold medalists Ilia Kulik and Ekaterina Gordeeva.

The crowd of Harvard students, alumni, and Jimmy Fund cancer patients cheered loudly for each performer.

Manuel Rincon-Cruz ’09 said he enjoyed every moment as he saw the Evening of Champions for the first time. “The whole show was awesome,” he said.

Paul S. Wylie ’90 played host to the event for the 21st time, moderating as well as occasionally venturing into the stands to work the crowd. The show, Wylie said, “represents years and years of dedication on the part of the skaters.”

The Evening’s founder, John Misha Petkevich ’71 stood up during the show to thank the audience and to remind them of the show’s goal to help fight childhood cancer.

“To see young people here, who perhaps 30 years ago would not survive, this is the greatest gift of all,” he said during the performance.

Nine-year-old Yasmin Siraj of Brookline was the first performer. The fourth grader has won medals at various New England competitions and said she practices skating six days a week.

“I love to do shows,” said Siraj after her performance. “This was a really good opportunity to show what I like to do.” She said she was excited at the opportunity to perform for the first time in a professional show with spotlights.

Russians Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin drew thunderous applause after their performance. The duo—two-time World champions and four-time European Champions—is considered a top contender for a gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

Smith and Jones began work on the production in February and continued through the summer.

“It’s the greatest thing I’ve done in Harvard, and in life, by far,” said Jones.

The two said they enjoyed working with talented skaters for a good cause.

“They’ve been fantastic, to come to Boston and interrupt their training in an Olympic year,” said Jones. “They care so much, year after year.”

Notable changes from last year include moving both ticket sales and their annual silent auction online.

Current Harvard students were also represented in the program.

The Harvard Skating Club performed a tribute to Napoleon Dynamite. The club members, donning “Vote for Pedro” shirts, skated to music from the popular movie. The routine was replete with one skater’s emulation of the movie’s main character, complete with a curly wig.

Winthrop sophomore Meghan C. McCullough ’08 and her partner Joel Dear—the 2005 Eastern Sectional Junior Dance champions—also performed.

Two-time U.S. National Champion and 2001 World Junior Champion Johnny Weir was slated to perform but was unable to appear due to health reasons.