NORWOOD, MASS. (WHDH) - Over the weekend, the figure skating community will honor the victims of the midair crash in Washington, D.C. last month.
The Skating Club of Boston is sending three skaters to perform during the “Legacy on Ice” event, in memory of two coaches, two skaters, and their mothers, who were killed in the Potomac River crash.
“They made me feel welcomed,” said skater Alisa Efimova. “They made me feel home. We used to see them everyday, every morning before we start training. Our day would start with a hug, with a little chat, and smiles and laughs. And now we try to be there for the families that are affected directly.”
In total, 67 people were killed when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport last month. Many of the passengers on the plane were returning from a skating competition in Kansas.
7News was at the skating club in Norwood Friday as the skaters rehearsed for the weekend performance, which is being held in Washington, D.C.
Skaters said they were looking forward to honoring the victims and hoped to provide some peace to their families.
“We’re always going to live with this, but this will definitely, you know, putting their names out there to the world and honoring who they were gives me some semblance of hope that their name never dies,” said skater Jimmy Ma.
“It’s a little bit difficult too, because I got the blessing to skate to what Jinna skated to,” Ma continued. “It’s still incredibly uncomfortable. I don’t know if I should be doing it, but I have the blessing, so I don’t want to do it a disservice.”
For skater Max Naumov, it will also be an emotional performance. He’ll skate this weekend in honor of the coaches he simply knew as “mom and dad.”
Skating legends Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano will host the event. It will also include performances from some of the biggest names in skating, including Nathan Chen, Johnny Weir, Massachusetts native Nancy Kerrigan, and Scott Hamilton.
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