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Kristi to participate in "Rise" screenings

02.17.11

Fifty years to the day after the incredible tragedy—a plane crash that killed 74 passengers, including 18 U.S. figure skaters—the documentary film Rise will screen in movie theaters across the country. The film celebrates American figure skating and commemorates those who perished when a flight bound for the World Championships in Prague crashed, killing everyone on board. It will be screened this Thursday, February 17, at theaters across the country—with a feed from a live event in New York providing interviews and insights before and after the documentary.

Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist will take part in the live event, which will be hosted by Matt Lauer of the Today Show. Watch for Yamaguchi on the red carpet before the documentary and participating in live interviews after the screening.

Proceeds from Rise and the February 17 event will be used to further the mission of U.S. Figure Skating’s Memorial Fund, which was established Feb. 23, 1961, as a living tribute to those that lost their lives in the crash of Sabena Airlines Flight 548 en route to the World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The Memorial Fund awards approximately $300,000 annually in grants and scholarships to skaters, recognizing excellence both on and off the ice. To learn more about the 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating Team and this historic event, visit www.rise1961.com. To support the Memorial Fund visit http://www.1961memorialfund.net.