For its 44th year at Harvard, An Evening With Champions will dazzle the Bright-Landry Hockey Center this weekend for an incredible cause: to raise money for The Jimmy Fund, an offshoot of the Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute. The skaters will be the center of attention during Fire on Ice, but the energy at the heart of this event comes from passionate students outside of the rink. Three members of the Executive Board for An Evening with Champions (EWC)–Kuo-Kai Chin (’15), Christina Gao (’17), and Whitney Gao (’16)–have worked tirelessly over the summer and the first weeks of classes to prepare another spectacular weekend of charity, entertainment, and community. Kuo-Kai serves as one of two co-chairs, along with Patrick Liu, and organizes strategic priorities for EWC and the executive board. Christina and Whitney are co-skater liasons, responsible for creating the cast of the show each year and arranging their accomodations during the weekend of the performance. In preparation for this year’s show, the three discussed their hard work to organize Fire on Ice, their favorite aspects of their positions, and the role their organization plays in the fight against cancer.
[From left: Christina Gao, Kuo-Kai Chin, and Whitney Gao.]
HC: Why did you decide to become involved with EWC?
CG: I actually performed in EWC in 2011 as a guest skater before I even came to Harvard! Since then, the show and the cause has meant a lot to me. I believe EWC is unlike any other organization on campus because it has such a rich history within the figure skating community as well as with The Jimmy Fund arm of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Though I’ve performed in EWC a few times, I wanted to be more involved this year, so I decided to join the board! It’s been such an amazing experience to see what it’s like to plan a show and what it takes to make it run smoothly. There are definitely challenges, but it’s amazing to see everything being to come together. I’m really looking forward to having the show continue to grow and help The Jimmy Fund as much as we possibly can.
KC: I joined EWC in the spring of my sophomore year because of its role as an iconic tradition of Eliot House as well as the tremendous cause that it supports. This is an opportunity that is so unique to Harvard, as no other school can claim a figure skating exhibition of such high caliber and I am honored to be a part of it.
WG: I used to be a figure skater, and I faintly remember EWC playing on my television each year while the show was still televised. I volunteered for the show my freshmen year, and I found that there was so much more to the show than just a cool cast. I decided to apply at the end of freshman year because I thought it was a lovely way to stay connected with figure skating but also have the chance to help with a great cause. I’ve stayed involved with EWC over the past few years because it’s really such a rewarding experience, and I wouldn’t trade any of the late nights and frantic hair-pulling at times for absolutely anything. It’s a great community of people, both on board and on our cast, and show weekend is definitely one of the most fantastic experiences of my Harvard career.
[Christina in action. Photograph by the Associated Press.]
HC: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in preparing for this year’s event?
CG: Because EWC happens so early in the school year, most of our work is done over the summer. One of the biggest challenges was probably coordinating the work and making sure everyone was still doing their job, even though it was summer. A lot of us are away during the summer, either traveling or doing internships, so sometimes it was hard to keep everyone motivated, but I believe the co-chairs did an amazing job with this! There was a seamless transition with EWC back into the school year; the work we did over the summer definitely helped relieve a little bit of the stress right now!
KC: It is tremendously difficult to keep track of so many different strands of thought as not only do we have to raise funds for the show from a variety of sources, we also need to put on the actual show itself and they all require working with different partners in different capacities. Just bringing all of these details together has been quite difficult and a really good learning process.
WG: As with any big event, the sheer immensity of the number of things you have to figure out and coordinate are overwhelming at times. At first, it picks up slowly, but then things sort of accumulate as the event draws nearer, so trying to stay above water on everything can be difficult. Coming back to school and learning to balance EWC preparation and my growing number of readings for class has also been a more recent struggle, but it’s so going to be worth it.
HC: What are you most excited to for us to see during the show?
CG: We have some spectacular headliners this year that include Olympians, World Champions, International competitors and members of Team USA. We are so lucky to have 3-time Olympian Johnny Weir and also 2-time Olympian Jeremy Abbott join us this year; they always have some amazing skating to show! We have 2014 Olympic Team Silver Medalists and Canadians Pairs Champion Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford joining us as well. That’s only a small glimpse into the star-studded cast we have this year!
KC: All of the skaters are fabulous and everyone has their own favorite routines, so we’re excited for you to discover yours!
WG: You should definitely be excited by our amazing cast! 9 Olympians are skating with us this year, which is more than last year (but not by much). I hope you also get to realize that these skaters are coming in out of the generosity of their hearts to help us with our cause. It really floors me every time that Olympians (!) and many other world-class skaters are willing to donate their time for our cause, and it really just highlights for me the great work that EWC has done over its 44 years of history
HC: EWC is celebrating its 44th year on campus. Why do you think it has become such a successful fundraiser at Harvard? What are your goals for EWC’s future?
CG: First and foremost, EWC is a fundraiser that people can trust and one that people truly believe in. The Jimmy Fund is such an amazing cause and we want to do everything we can to maintain that relationship and continue to fundraise for them through EWC. Also, EWC is so successful because of the relationships we maintain between sponsors, famous skaters, etc throughout the years. It’s a huge network of people all working towards one cause; curing cancer. Because EWC brings in so many guest skaters as well as corporate and individual sponsors, it provides a window outside of the “Harvard bubble.” It helps us keep the main goal in perspective and keep the show running successfully year after year.
EWC has such a strong support system that the future possibilities are endless! The goals for the future would probably be to continue to grow the show and ignite more and more excitement about what the show benefits as well as increase our fundraising efforts year after year!
KC: A huge part of the success is the ability of the program to transition well year after year. This means both picking the right people to be on board but also giving them the tools they need to succeed. On our end, we received a lot of excellent board reports that really outline what we need to do quite well. In addition, we have a lot of alumni that are very eager to give us advice throughout the process and come back and help during the week of the show, so we have a lot of institutional memory that contributes to our success.
WG: Well, I think this is definitely a question I probably can’t answer fully. I think figure skating is captivating for a reason, and like I’ve said above, the figure skating community is very tight-knit and supportive, so it’s lovely to see everyone (cast and audience alike) come together to work for a great cause. And the cause is fantastic — it deserves success and recognition! Dana-Farber does amazing work, and I’m glad we’re able to point the spotlight in their direction more. My goals would definitely be preserving EWC’s legacy and success mainly.
HC: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your work for EWC?
CG: The most rewarding aspect would probably be the amazing people we get to work with, on EWC board as well as skaters, patients, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. However, when the show is over, the skaters fly back home, and things start to settle down again, it’s amazing to look back and remember the unforgettable performances and the contributions we were able to make to The Jimmy Fund; it truly makes all the work very worth it!
KC: The best part is definitely actually seeing the show and being able to witness the excitement of the audience and just how amazing the show is. The skaters are so talented and it is always amazing to see something that you put months of work into come to fruition. Another awesome aspect is going to be the Kids’ skate, where we have kids from the Jimmy Fund learn to skate from the skaters in attendance. The kids have so much fun and it is incredibly cute to watch.
WG: For me personally, the most satisfying aspect is the ability to make a change in the world in an area that I love. But, though I do love figure skating and the entire community that comes with it, the show is really about so so much more than that. We raise a very sizable donation for The Jimmy Fund every year, and to be able to continue that history has been an incredible privilege. Things like seeing the kids and their families whose lives we directly affect is also amazingly impactful, and knowing that your work is applicable in very tangible ways is very rewarding.
[Left: EWC Co-Chairs Kuo-Kai and Patrick Liu. Right: Skater Liasons Christina and Whitney.]
Although there are only a few days until Fire On Ice, getting involved with this amazing foundation is still possible for interested students. Volunteering opportunities are available throughout the weekend of the show, and applications for the executive board open at the end of the semester. The simplest way to help the cause is attending this weekend’s performances; proceeds from each ticket sold go directly to The Jimmy Fund and contribute to EWC’s fight against cancer.
Fire on Ice will take place on both Friday and Saturday nights in the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. For more information on the performances and the organization, visit the official website for An Evening With Champions. Inquiries about volunteering opportunities may be sent to info@aneveningwithchampions.org.