Vigil held for skaters who died in plane crash in D.C.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - The name of every U.S. Figure Skating member on board Flight 5342 was read aloud during a vigil held at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum.
"We are a family, and we care so deeply about all of those in the skating community, so to lose some of our family, everybody wants to come together," said Justin Dillon, Senior Director of Athlete High Performance.
Photos, candles, and flowers filled the room, and a tribute was played showcasing who these young athletes were, both on and off the ice.
"It's just starting to set in. The last couple of days, I guess at U.S. Figure Skating, we have been in go mode to make sure we can do right by any possible way we can do right for the families," Dillon shared.
U.S. Figure Skating is all too familiar with this type of loss.
Back in 1961, 18 of their team members were killed in a plane crash while on their way to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague.
Decades later, they are mourning another tragedy.
"Everyone grieves differently and will be grieving for a long time, but we need to continue to reach out and support each other," Dillon expressed.
"I want you to remember back to your very first skating lesson, and what you were taught. It wasn't how to skate. It was how to fall and get up," said one speaker.
