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Spectators warm up to singers, Olympians at ‘Skate for the Heart’
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
For a while on the day she became a teenager, Meredith Grimes was unsure what birthday gifts she would receive — the continual jumps, twists, turns and occasional pirouettes notwithstanding.
That’s because Meredith, of Vienna, turned 13 Sunday, the same day as the “Skate for the Heart” event that she got to attend at the Covelli Centre as part of her birthday celebration. The event to be televised nationally in January drew 3,000 people.
“I liked David,” the Mathews Middle School seventh-grader said without hesitation after being asked about her favorite part of the two-hour live show.
She was referring to David Archuleta, one of the musical acts that accompanied 12 world-class ice skaters who performed in the program, which is affiliated with the American Heart Association. It was intended to raise greater awareness of heart disease and the importance of maintaining a healthy life, organizers said.
Archuleta was the 2009 runner-up on the popular FOX show “American Idol.” Also performing were Straight No Chaser, a 10-member a cappella group founded in 1996 at Indiana University, and popular R&B singer Ruben Studdard, “American Idol” winner in 2004.
Hosting the colorful event were Olympic gold medalists Michelle Kwan and Peggy Fleming.
“Skate for the Heart” is to air nationally Jan. 16 on NBC and will be shown locally from 4 to 6 p.m. that day on WFMJ-TV 21. It will be rebroadcast in February on the Hallmark Channel, though no date was announced.
“I was impressed with the jumps and how precise everything is,” added Meredith’s 14-year-old sister, Maddi, a Mathews High School freshman who plays flute and was recently accepted into the Youngstown Youth Symphony.
The jumps and similar moves also made an impression on Kaitlyn Menci, 12, one of Meredith’s friends and fellow Mathews Middle seventh-grader.
It stands to reason that the program’s combination of music and skating would appeal to the three girls, since one plays the flute and the other two are cheerleaders. In addition, all are “American Idol” fans, they said.
Straight No Chaser’s smooth, silky voices were a favorite of Mark Grimes, Meredith’s and Maddi’s father.
“Their singing is pretty phenomenal,” said Grimes, a part-time security guard at the Covelli Centre who also works for Industrial Waste Control in Youngstown.
The more than 3,000 attendees were treated to high-energy performances that included the pairing of one of Studdard’s songs with the jumps, stretches and corkscrew-style twists of 2010 U.S. champion skater Rachael Flatt.
Several cheers filled the center as three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir, donned mainly in black, provided a sampling of his flamboyant style. Shortly afterward, Archuleta sang as 2010 bronze medalist Joannie Rochette worked her smooth, seemingly flawless magic across the rink.
The audience also reacted several times during skating moves to Straight No Chaser’s a cappella versions of the Michael Jackson hit “Billie Jean” and “Miss You” by the Rolling Stones.
The other skaters in the show were 2006 silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto; Olympic ice dancing silver medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White; two-time U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott; 2010 U.S. champions Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett; 2007 U.S. national silver medalist Ryan Bradley; and 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen.
In addition to providing an afternoon of excitement for many, the Skate for the Heart event also will bring positive publicity to the Mahoning Valley when it’s aired early next year, noted Kelsey Rupert, Covelli’s marketing manager.
“Hopefully we can bring a lot more events like this to the area,” she said. “It opens so many doors for this area, also.”