Cottonwood Heights Figure Skating Club holds memorial vigil for Flight 5432

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS – As crews pull the remaining wreckage from American Airlines Flight 5432 from the Potomac River in Washington D.C. Monday, figure skating clubs from around the country held vigils to honor those killed in last week’s mid-air collision with a military helicopter.

At the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center, figure skaters and their coaches from the Cottonwood Heights Figure Staking Club took to the ice Monday afternoon with candles and roses, one for each of the 28 figure skaters, coaches, and family members killed as they returned home from a U.S. Figure Skating competition in Wichita, Kansas.

“Moments like this are important because they bring together communities, and figure skating is a really tight-knit community,” Erica Brown, vice president of Cottonwood Heights Figure Skating Club, said.

About 50 skaters formed a circle around the center ice and placed the candles and roses in the middle. They then held hands in a symbol of unity and held a moment of silence.

“I hope that they just know that we’re here for them and we care for them, and we love all of them and all their skaters and their families,” said 15-year-old figure skater Lydia Johnson.

Throughout the month of February, the figure skating community in Utah will continue to honor the legacy of those killed in the crash.

At the collegiate competition in Logan on Feb. 7-8, there will be a moment of silence at the beginning of each day of competition. On Feb. 15, proceeds from the Sweetheart Skate will be donated to the U.S. Figure Skating Family Fund. Proceeds from the High Altitude Skating Challenge on Feb 20-22 will also be accepted for the fund.