An Evening with Champions
By Kathryn S. KuharThe 48th Annual Evening with Champions took place Sept. 14 and 15 at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Allston. The student-run annual fundraiser brings together figure skaters from around the world to raise money for The Jimmy Fund, the fundraising arm of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Thus far, the organization has raised $2.9 million.
This year An Evening with Champions welcomed their first Special Olympics skater, Sharita Taylor. Taylor is a 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games Bronze Medalist and a 2017 Honorary ESPY Award Recipient.
Tiffany Y. Lau '19, a six-time Hong Kong National Medalist and co-chair of the organization, skates during her solo performance.
Kelvin Li '21, a two-time US National Competitor, flies through the air on Friday.
Selena Zhao ’20, a Canadian Junior National Champion, skates effortlessly across the ice in her classical solo piece.
Oleg A. Protopopov, a 1964 and 1968 Olympic Champion, four-time World Champion and four-time European Champion, pauses on the ice after skating a tribute to his late wife Ludmila Y. Belousova — and to all women. The performance, which received a standing ovation, marked his first appearance without Ludmila, who recently died of cancer.
Melanie and Fred Palascak, instructors and former competitive skaters, perform gravity-defying stunts, causing some seated in the audience to gasp in shock and awe.
Elladj Balde, a 2015 Nebelhorn Trophy Champion and former Canadian Junior National Champion, spins during his upbeat performance. Later, he performed backflips on the ice.
Kailani Craine, 2018 Olympian, 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy Champion, and four-time Australian National Champion, appears to be dancing in air during her singles piece.
The Haydenettes — five-time World Championships Bronze Medalists and 26-time US National Champions — skate in seemingly perfect union around the rink.
Molly Malone, a former Dana Farber Cancer Institute patient, returns to the ice to deliver a powerful performance for the second year in a row since beating cancer.
Ross Miner, a four-time US National Medalist, seems to levitate as he leaps during his performance.
Cast members including co-master of ceremonies Paul S. Wylie '91 — a 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist and 2008 US Figure Skating Hall of Fame Inductee — and Angela Wang, the 2017 Bavarian Open Champion, perform in an ensemble finale.
The cast of An Evening with Champions 2018 waves to the audience after taking their final bows, marking the end of their first show.