United by tragedy, members of the D.C. area figure skating community are rallying together following a fatal midair collision between a Black Hawk military helicopter and a passenger plane. The accident claimed 67 lives, including 28 coaches, athletes, and parents from local skating clubs. The Washington Figure Skating Club and the Skating Club of Northern Virginia were particularly hit hard, losing 15 members who were returning home from a competition in Kansas, as reported by WJLA.

Yesterday, a gathering at the Capital One Arena was held to honor the memory of those who perished in the January 29 disaster. Athletes performed and leaned on one another for support in anticipation of the upcoming "Legacy on Ice" event. “We just have to be there for each other. If somebody needs to take time off or needs a hug, we have to be there for each other,” 15-year-old skater Zuri Davis told DC News Now when discussing the support among the teammates.

The "Legacy on Ice" tribute is scheduled for March 2 and seeks to bolster the spirits of the community while raising funds for affected families and first responders. The benefits will support several organizations, including the DC Fire & Ems Foundation, the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and The U.S. Figure Skating Foundation. “These crews worked in extremely hazardous conditions. There was jet fuel in the water, debris from the plane. They dove for several hours in icy conditions,” explained David Hoagland, president of the DC Fire Fighters Association, in a statement obtained by DC News Now, recalling the challenging recovery operations following the crash.

Among those lost were siblings Everly and Alydia Livingston, their coach Inna Volyanskaya, and Franco Aparicio, along with his father. Coach Inna Ovsiannikova, a friend of Volyanskaya for nearly 30 years and also a coach to the Livingston sisters, feels a part of her is missing. “I feel like she [Volyanskaya] would want us to keep moving and do well,” she told WUSA9.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the crash, with early findings suggesting that the military helicopter crew missed crucial instructions from air traffic control and were using night vision goggles when the collision occurred with American Airlines Flight 5342. Tickets remain available for the event, which will feature performances and tributes to the 67 victims, and offer an opportunity for ongoing support for those touched by this profound loss.