Figure Skating in Harlem's Skating with the Stars set for April 5

FIGURE SKATING IN HARLEM'S 2010 SKATING WITH THE STARS BENEFIT GALA
SET FOR APRIL 5

Figure Skating in Harlem is pleased to announce the 2010 Skating With the Stars gala honoring Olympic Champion Kristi Yamaguchi. The sixth annual benefit will be held on Monday evening, April 5, 2010, from 6pm-9pm at Wollman Rink in Central Park, New York City. It promises to be another fun and delightful evening that raises critically-needed funds for Figure Skating in Harlem’s (FSH) pioneering youth development program.       

Tamara Tunie, star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and FSH’s Chair Emerita, and FSH Board Chair Candace Matthews, Chief Marketing Officer, Amway, will also be honored at the gala. This star-studded event attracts celebrities such as Kelly Ripa, Vera Wang, Richie Rich, Carson Kressley, Kimberley Locke, Star Jones, and Kelly Rowland, as well as prominent business leaders, philanthropists, and skating and hockey fans.

Judy and Rod Gilbert, Tina and Terry Lundgren and Melania and Donald Trump will serve as this year’s Honorary Chairs. The Gala’s celebrity co-chairs include the cast of Law & Order: SVU (Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Stephanie March, Ice-T, and B. D. Wong). Lorraine Bracco, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Gloria Gaynor, Whoopi Goldberg, Cameron Mathison, Katharine McPhee, Phylicia Rashad, Rhonda Ross, and Ramona Singer are among the members of the 2010 Benefit Committee.

At this event, now in its sixth year, guests are offered the extraordinary opportunity to skate side by side with Kristi Yamaguchi and a spectacular roster of Olympic and World Medalists including Dorothy Hamill, Johnny Weir, Sarah Hughes, Sasha Cohen, Viktor Petrenko, Kimmie Meissner, Evan Lysacek (2009 World Men’s Figure Skating Champion), Timothy Goebel, Rachael Flatt (2010 US Women’s Figure Skating Champion), Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, and Jeremy Abbott (2010 US Men's Figure Skating Champion).  Many of these athletes will be competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics this February.

As a special part of this Olympic edition, a number of hockey legends, including Rod Gilbert, Ron Greschner, Bret Hedican, Pat Hickey, Brad Park, Peter Simkowski, and Gil Villemure are also scheduled to be part of this year’s event. Tickets to the gala, which includes skating and dinner, start at $300 and are available by calling (212) 675-9474. Visit www.charitybuzz.com soon to find great auction items for bidding online.

Figure Skating in Harlem has served over 1,000 New York City girls since 1997 with an innovative education and ice-skating program that transforms young lives and helps Harlem girls grow in confidence, leadership and academic achievement. Proceeds from this benefit event will help FSH continue to grow and become an even stronger resource for children in the community. FSH also hopes to develop a base of support that will help them secure a home rink of their own with access to skating and educational facilities year-round in Upper Manhattan.

(Photo below, from Figure Skating in Harlem's 2009 Skating with the Stars, from left to right, Evan Lysacek, Tanith Belbin, Ben Agosto, Dorothy Hamill, Kimmie Meissner, Timothy Goebel and Todd Eldredge)