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Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) honored
legendary actress and activist Cicely
Tyson and
Olympic Gold Medalists Meryl
Davis & Charlie White at its 11th
Annual Skating
with the Stars Gala Monday, April
11, 2016. Celebrating Figure
Skating in Harlem’s one-of-a-kind education, health, and
leadership programs for underserved
girls, guests enjoyed the rare opportunity to dance and
mingle with some of the country’s figure skating royalty
including Michelle
Kwan, Evan
Lysacek, Sasha
Cohen, Tanith
White &
Ben Agosto, Tim
Goebel, JoJo Starbuck, and 2016 World silver
medialists/2016 National Champions Maia
& Alex Shibutani, 2016
World silver medalist (and 3-time US National Champion) Ashley
Wagner, and
2016 National Champion Adam
Rippon. The
event raised approximately $850,000 for the
organization.
The Today
Show's Tamron
Hall presented
the award to Meryl Davis & Charlie White, who are part
of the team bringing the Figure Skating in Harlem
concept to their hometown of Detroit,
MI. Davis was reduced to tears during her speech due to
her passion and love for the program. Fashion designer B
Michael presented
the award to Cicely Tyson, who delivered an impassioned
and powerful speech before receiving a stunning piece of
artwork created by Keisha
Williams as
commissioned by FSH. The Dance
Theatre of Harlem performed
a stunning routine in tribute to the honorees. Macy's
Inc. Chairman & CEO Terry
Lundgren along
with wife Tina,
a world figure skating judge and Vice Chair of Figure
Skating in Harlem's board, surprised four graduating
seniors with $2,500 scholarships towards college.
Notable
guests included: Barry
& Marla Malcolm Beck, Louise Camuto, Sasha Cohen,
Kenneth & Maria Cuomo Cole, Meryl Davis & Charlie White,
Susan Fales-Hill, Tim Goebel, Agnes
Gund,
Tamron Hall, John
Idol, Andrea
Joyce,
Michelle Kwan, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Terry and Tina
Lundgren, Evan Lysacek, B Michael, Courtney Reagan, Adam
Rippon, Marcus Samuelsson & Maya Haile, Ryan Serhant,
Maia & Alex Shibutani, Valerie Simpson, JoJo Starbuck,
Stacey Tisdale, Tamara
Tunie, Jeff
Tweedy,
Cicely Tyson, Daniella Vitale, Ashley
Wagner,Wendy
Walker, Vera
Wang,
Tanith White & Ben Agosto, and Mary
Wilson.
Tracie and Scott Hamilton and Michelle
Kwan were
this year’s Honorary Chairs; Ellen
Lowey, Tina and
Terry Lundgren, and Diana
L. Taylor were
among the Gala Chairs. Mary
Wilson of The
Supremes served
once again as the fabulous host of the event.
Now in its
19th year, Figure Skating in Harlem remains
the first
and only organization
in the country that combines the power of education with
the grace and discipline of figure skating to transform
the lives of underserved girls. Through
its unique programming, FSH provides NYC girls with
innovative skating and education programs that promote
academic success, physical health, and emotional
well-being. Recent graduates of the program have gone on
to Brown University, Boston College, Howard University and
others. The proceeds from this year’s gala will help
fuel a plan for expansion beyond New
York; with the help of Davis and White,
FSH's expansion to Detroit, Michigan,
is currently underway.
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