Meet your favorite skating stars: Tickets still available for Monday's Figure Skating in Harlem gala honoring Vera Wang

Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) provides free ice skating and academic tutoring for young girls in the Harlem Community. FSH will be holding their annual benefit gala tomorrow evening at Wollman Rink in Central Park. This year's honorees include fashion designer Vera Wang. In case you missed last year's event (see video above), Olympic Champion Evan Lysacek presented a check from the Pioneer Fund and Scott Hamilton for $100,000 to support the organization. If you're a skating fan, tomorrow evening is not to be missed -- hobnob with anyone and everyone from the skating world, including: Johnny Weir, Evan Lysacek, Sasha Cohen, Sarah Hughes, Tara Lipinski, Todd Eldredge, Tanith Belbin, Ben Agosto, Joannie Rochette, Paul Wylie, Nicole Bobek, Meryl Davis, Charlie White, Caydee Denney, John Coughlin, Jeremy Abbott, Ashley Wagner, Alissa Czisny, Maia Shibutani, Alex Shibutani, Adam Rippon, Mary Beth Marley, Rockne Brubaker, Madison Hubbell, Zach Donohue, and the list goes on! Hope to see you there!

FIGURE SKATING IN HARLEM CELEBRATES 15TH YEAR AT 2012 SKATING WITH THE STARS GALA 

Star-studded event honoring Vera Wang and Rhonda Ross features skating champions and celebritieson the ice with guests at Wollman Rink

Figure Skating in Harlem (http://www.figureskatinginharlem.org) is excited to announce its Annual Skating with the Stars gala honoring international fashion designer Vera Wang, dynamic Figure Skating in Harlem patron Ellen Lowey, and artist and entrepreneur Rhonda Ross. This one-of-a-kind benefit event will be held on Monday, April 2, 2012, from 5:30pm-8:30pm at the famed Wollman Rink in Central Park. This fantastic evening raises critically-needed funds for Figure Skating in Harlem’s (FSH) innovative fitness and academics program for underserved girls, while offering guests the unparalleled chance to skate side-by-side with some of the greatest names in modern skating history. An inaugural gala dinner celebrating 15 years of Figure Skating in Harlem will be held at The Central Park Boathouse following the skating portion of the night. 

Donald Trump and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star (and FSH Board Chair Emerita) Tamara Tunie will serve as this year’s Honorary Chairs; Kimberly and Stephen Bollenbach and Terry and Tina Lundgren are our Event Chairs. Past celebrity guests at this always star-studded night include Kelly Ripa, Mariska Hargitay, Olympic Gold Medalist and Dancing with the Stars’ contestant Evan Lysacek, Maria Cuomo Cole and Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, and Kelly Rowland, among many others.

Jake T. Austin, Hockey Hall-of-Famer Rod Gilbert, Carson Kressley, Christopher Meloni, and Soledad O’Brien are among those already scheduled to attend this year. Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to skate with Lysacek and many more Olympic and World champions including Olympic Champions Sarah Hughes and Tara Lipinski, Sasha Cohen (Olympic Silver Medalist), Todd Eldredge (World Champion), Johnny Weir (two-time Olympic Team Member),Tanith Belbin (Olympic Silver Medalist with partner Ben Agosto), Joannie Rochette (Olympic Bronze Medalist), Paul Wylie (Olympic Silver Medalist), and Nicole Bobek (World Bronze Medalist), as well as the entire 2012 United States World Team: Meryl Davis and Charlie White (2012 US Ice Dancing Champions and 2011 World Champions), Caydee Denney and John Coughlin (2012 US Pairs Figure Skating Champions), Jeremy Abbott (2012 US Men’s Figure Skating Champion), Ashley Wagner (2012 US Women’s Figure Skating Champion), Alissa Czisny (2011 US Women’s Figure Skating Champion), Maia and Alex Shibutani (World Bronze Medalists), Adam Rippon, Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker, Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue.   

Tickets to the gala, which include skating and a festive buffet, start at $300 and are available by calling (212) 222-8240. Visit www.charitybuzz.com beginning on March 26th to find great auction items for bidding online.

 

Joannie Rochette continues to inspire (video)

I caught up with Joannie Rochette, 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, in NYC at Figure Skating in Harlem's 2011 benefit gala in April. For those unaware, Joannie was the face of courage and inspiration at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. A few days before the ladies short program, her mother (and also best friend and confidante) died of a massive heart attack. Joannie continued to compete, put together two strong programs, and won the bronze. It's hard, actually it's impossible, for me to imagine what she was feeling on the podium, as her mother was the biggest supporter of her skating career and wasn't there to share in one of her biggest victories.

Since the Olympics, Joannie took time off from competition and has been involved in various charities, which include World Vision Canada and organizations that promote women's heart health. She also toured with the US and Canada Stars on Ice, is in high demand as a speaker, and continues to perform in ice shows. The next chapter in Joannie's life has just begun! (Photo at right, Joannie Rochette performs at Rockefeller Skating Rink for the Today Show)

Other attendees and supporters at Figure Skating in Harlem's annual gala included Sarah Hughes (she was also the honoree for her long-time support of the organization), Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir, Jeremy Abbott, Adam Rippon, Tanith Belbin, Ben Agosto, Todd Eldredge, Timothy Goebel, Lucinda Ruh, Emily Hughes, and many more. See complete coverage of the gala here.

Johnny Weir launches Little Black Dress collection on eDressMe.com (video)

FINALLY! Johnny Weir is coming out with a dress line on April 30. Available exclusively on eDressMe.com starting April 30, the dresses will be revealed during a skating show called Ice Dreams in Bensenville, Illinois. Prices for the collection range from $198 - $298 - Johnny's initial collection consists of six “Little Black Dress” styles, boasting ostrich feathers, netting and sequin accents.

I say "finally" because it was only a matter of time, right people? First his song came out "Dirty Love," then his autobiography "Welcome to My World," so naturally the next project would be a clothing and jewelry line. And yes, he is also working on a jewelry line and his agent Tara Modlin often models the samples everywhere she goes. What, no bag line? I bet it's coming...Here's Johnny talking about all this, in addition to coming out of the closet, at the 2011 Figure Skating in Harlem benefit on April 4. (Photo above, Johnny Weir attends 2011 Figure Skating in Harlem benefit in NYC)

Jeremy Abbott sets sights on 2014 Sochi Olympics (video)

Here's my conversation with one of my favorite skaters -- Jeremy Abbott -- at Figure Skating in Harlem's 2011 benefit gala. The two-time US National champion and 2010 Olympian had a tough 2010-2011 season, finishing fourth at this past US Nationals, second and third in his Grand Prix events, and third at Four Continents. With his fourth place finish at Nationals, he didn't make it to the World Championships (which begin April 27 in Moscow, Russia) which was a huge disappointment for him. Apparently, his Reidell boots were a major part of the problem and he's working with the company to correct whatever issues hampered him this season. In addition, he's seriously thinking about the 2014 Sochi Olympics(!) but hasn't fully committed to the idea yet.

Figure Skating in Harlem's annual gala this year also featured Sarah Hughes (who was also an honoree for her long-time support of the organization), Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir, Joannie Rochette, Sasha Cohen, Timothy Goebel, Tanith Belbin, Benjamin Agosto, Todd Eldredge, Emily Hughes, Lucinda Ruh, Adam Rippon, Fumie Suguri, Vera Wang, as well as Donald and Melania Trump, Kenneth Cole and the list goes on. The event raised over $500,000 for a new academic center that will open year-round. Currently, the program, which combines ice skating lessons with academics, runs for most of the year but founder Sharon Cohen wants the academic portion to run all the time. As she told me at the event, "Figure skating will teach the girls about discipline, hard work and perseverance, but the education factor will take them even farther."

Coming up next...Johnny Weir designs his first "little black dress"

Adam Rippon leaves Brian Orser to train with Ghislain Briand (video)

First Yu-Na Kim and now Adam Rippon!?! Last week, Adam, a two-time World junior champion and Japan Open winner, announced that he was leaving coach Brian Orser whom he had been with for over two years. Brian Orser coached Yu-Na to her Olympic gold medal in Vancouver and then they abruptly parted ways six months later (no reasons given, lots of innuendos on who did what to whom). Hopes were high that Brian would work his magic on Adam, who is a top US men's competitor. What happened? Adam decided that they were not "on the same page" and that a change was in order. Enter new coach Ghislain Briand, who is already on Adam's coaching team, so Ghislain will now be taking on a permanent full-time role as Adam's coach at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club. Brian coaches at the club as well so will this be awkward? According to Adam, no, of course not.

Adam and I spoke about all of this in NYC on April 4 when he attended a benefit for Figure Skating in Harlem. This is a program that provides young girls in the Harlem community with free ice skating lessons as well as academic tutoring. Adam said he appreciates programs that provide great after-school activities as he and his five siblings have all benefited from participating in constructive extracurricular activities growing up in Scranton. Adam also reflected on the past season, including the highs (winning the Japan Open) and lows (his short program at US Nationals where he placed fifth overall).(Photo at right, Adam on the red carpet at Figure Skating in Harlem benefit)

Coming up next...my conversation with Jeremy Abbott and the curse of the boot problems that torpedoed his season.