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Vienna figure skating champion Ilia Malinin will join Olympic and world champions at Capital One Arena on March 2 for a benefit honoring the 67 people killed in the midair collision near Reagan National Airport.
“Legacy on Ice” will raise money for victims’ families and celebrate the American figure skating community, which lost 28 members in the Jan. 29 crash over the Potomac River.
Proceeds will support the DCA Together Relief Fund established by the Capital Area Community Foundations, the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund and the D.C. Fire & EMS Foundation.
“As we begin to heal from this devastating loss, we look forward to honoring the enduring memories of these athletes, coaches and family members who represented the best of the figure skating community,” U.S. Figure Skating interim CEO Samuel Auxier said. “We can think of no better way of celebrating their legacies than through the sport they loved.”
Malinin, who trains at SkateQuest in Reston, will be joined by prominent skaters including Johnny Weir, Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski. Members of Washington-area skating organizations and the Skating Club of Boston, which lost athletes and coaches in the collision, will also participate.
The tribute will involve several of Washington’s professional sports teams, including the Nationals, Wizards, Capitals, Commanders, Mystics and Spirit. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. on Feb. 10.
“We are fortunate to have a platform to honor the 67 people we lost and remember the extraordinary impact they made during their lives,” Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO and chairman Ted Leonsis said. “By raising funds to support their families, we hope to provide a small amount of comfort during this terrible time.”
Many leading U.S. skaters had traveled to Wichita, Kansas, in late January for the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where Malinin claimed his third straight national title. A development camp for younger athletes followed the competition.
American Airlines Flight 5342 was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when it collided shortly before 9 p.m. with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training flight from Fort Belvoir. The helicopter carried three soldiers.
Among the plane’s passengers were eight people affiliated with the Skating Club of Northern Virginia at Fairfax Ice Arena and seven from the Washington Figure Skating Club in Ashburn, according to U.S. Figure Skating.
The Northern Virginia club lost 16-year-old skaters Cory Haynos of Annandale and Edward Zhou of Fairfax, along with their parents. Vienna resident Franco Aparicio and his father, Luciano, were among the Washington Figure Skating Club members killed. Haynos, Zhou and Aparicio attended Fairfax County Public Schools.
Officials announced Feb. 4 that the remains of all 67 victims had been recovered from the Potomac. Crews continued working to retrieve the wreckage as the National Transportation Safety Board investigated the collision.
The region has held several public remembrances. Rep. Don Beyer and the Arlington Democrats organized a candlelight vigil at Rivergate City Park in Alexandria, while the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors observed a moment of silence during its Feb. 4 meeting.
Board Chairman Jeff McKay asked the county government to promote relief efforts and maintain support for victims’ families and the first responders involved in the recovery.
“This is going to be with us here in Fairfax County and with our region for a long time, and we all need to stay committed to helping both the families and victims, but also our first responders through what is a very difficult time,” McKay said.