On a glittering spring evening in Manhattan—one of those rare nights where city lights feel like constellations summoned just for the occasion—the Ziegfeld Ballroom opened its golden doors for a celebration unlike any other. April 30th marked the 2025 Gala for Figure Skating in Harlem, an organization that has, for nearly three decades, pirouetted at the intersection of grace and grit, cultivating not just skaters, but scholars, leaders, and luminous young women.
This was not merely a fundraiser. It was a coronation.
Fresh off the heels of the Disney+ docu-series Harlem Ice, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Robin Roberts, Figure Skating in Harlem arrived at its gala moment with the full flourish of public recognition—and the grounded elegance of a mission long before the cameras arrived. The energy in the ballroom shimmered with purpose. The stories told on screen now stood proudly in the flesh.
A Room of Icons and Advocates
Four hundred guests filled the iconic Midtown venue, a room alive with celebration and substance. Among the esteemed attendees were award-winning journalist and CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, the ever-enchanting designer Vera Wang, and figure skating royalty Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, and Evan Bates—each gliding into the evening with a kind of terrestrial glamour that only true mastery allows.
Gayle King, luminous as ever, appeared in support of fellow CBS Mornings co-anchor and 2025 honoree Vladimir Duthiers, whose elegance in journalism mirrored the very ethos of the evening: excellence, earned. He was joined in being honored by philanthropists Candace and Bruce Matthews and Bloomberg Philanthropies—received by Erana Stennett, Bloomberg’s Regional Lead for Corporate Philanthropy in Africa and the Middle East. These were not merely names on a program, but pillars—living proof that generosity and vision remain deeply entwined.
A Celebration of Lineage and Leadership
The night unfolded with poetic rhythm. Honoree presentations were delivered by revered actress Tamara Tunie (via video), philanthropist and corporate legend Ann M. Fudge, and CBS News National Correspondent Jericka Duncan, each lending gravitas to a celebration already rich with meaning. Dr. Tenley E. Albright, the first American woman to win Olympic gold in figure skating, was also honored—her presence a reminder of how far the sport and the women within it have come.
From the eloquent testimony of alumna Zenzile Imani Tonge to the commanding presence of Board Chair Tina Lundgren and the unwavering passion of Founder and CEO Sharon Cohen, the event moved with a cadence of legacy and transformation. And when the Figure Skating in Harlem Spoken Word team took the stage, they turned the ballroom into a sanctuary—one where language sliced like skates through ice, where poetry was purpose incarnate.
More Than a Fundraiser
By evening’s end, the gala had raised a remarkable $1.2 million—funds that will fuel the 2025–26 programming cycle and carry forward the mission that has touched nearly 2,000 girls and young women throughout Harlem and New York City. These programs, centered on figure skating, academic support, and leadership development, continue to offer not just access—but ascension.
This is what Figure Skating in Harlem does. It carves possibility into the surface of impossibility. It teaches balance in turbulence, discipline in beauty, and power in poise.
A Legacy in Motion
There is something undeniably metaphoric about figure skating: the audacity to launch oneself into air with nothing but thin blades beneath you, to dance with gravity and remain undefeated. That is the story of these young women. That is the story of Harlem. And on this singular night, that story was told not just in words or routines, but in every smile, every toast, every dollar raised.
The gala may be over, but the movement is just beginning. Harlem is still gliding forward, and the ice has never looked more golden.
For more on the mission: figureskatinginharlem.org
