LAKE PLACID — Members of the 1980 Olympic Figure Skating Team will return to the Lake Placid Olympic Center and Olympic Oval on Feb. 18 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the XIII Olympic Winter Games.

Olympic 1984 gold medalist and 1980 Team USA Olympic flag bearer Scott Hamilton will host the day’s events that start with a 10 a.m. press-breakfast at the Convention Center. This is followed by a 3 p.m. charity skate-a-thon and culminates with an evening gala and dinner at 7 p.m. and show in the Olympic Center at 8 p.m.

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Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer

At 3 p.m. on the Lake Placid Olympic Oval, Hamilton will lead community members in a Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer event. This “Frozen 5K” skate-a-thon is the signature fundraiser of the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 c (3) dedicated to changing the future of cancer funding, research and patient care. The Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation has held over 70 Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer events that have raised more than $1 million. 

“All my life I’ve learned so many lessons from skating, but nothing quite compares to the joy I see on the faces of participants as they raise peer-to-peer funding by skating the Frozen 5K,” Hamilton said. “And what better place to celebrate breakthroughs than on the legendary Lake Placid Olympic Oval where Eric Heiden won a record five gold medals.”

Adironack Health was selected as the partner charity of choice for the Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer event. A portion of the proceeds raised will be directed to help North Country patients travel for acute care related to their cancer diagnosis and treatment plan.  

“Some cancer patients struggle with the costs to travel for second-opinions, surgery or radiation treatments outside the local area,” said Sylvia Getman, CEO of Adirondack Health. “We are thrilled to partner with the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation as this will undoubtedly help north country cancer patients.”

The Foundation’s event website is www.mysk8.org/LakePlacidNY2020.

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Anniversary figure skating gala and dinner show

The day will conclude at 7 p.m. with an evening Gala and dinner show entitled Dream On, The 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Figure Skating Reunion Gala. The show will feature live performances by current U.S. pair champions Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc, along with U.S. champion Ryan Bradley. The U.S. ice dance champions of Madison Chock and Evan Bates will also perform in tribute to the 1980 team. Other performances will include the Skating Club of Lake Placid.  

The evening will also feature a multi-media presentation and discussion with the members of the U.S. 1980 Olympic Figure Skating Team, sharing their stories and experiences of 40 years ago. 

“In a very special and intimate setting, we will be looking back at each of the four major events of the competition,” said Olympic Silver Medalist and ORDA Director of Sport, Paul Wylie. “We will be celebrating the personalities that lit up the 1980 Olympic Center and launched the entertainment we now know as figure skating.”

On-ice Gala dinner tickets are available for $980 per table or $125 per person. Corporate sponsorship tables are also available. Call 518-302-5397.

General admission tickets for “Dream On” are $19.80 and are available at Tickets.com, by phone at 518-523-3330 and at the Olympic Center box office.

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40th anniversary of 1980 Olympic Winter Games

The 40th anniversary of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games presents the perfect opportunity to celebrate Lake Placid’s rich Olympic legacy — past, present and future. From Feb. 13-23, the two-time Olympic village is rolling out the welcome mat and is hosting a full slate of activities that will embody the Olympic spirit — from re-living the Opening Ceremony and cauldron lighting, ice skating around the historic Olympic Oval, to skiing with Olympic athletes.

Other skaters involved with the event include: Linda Fratianne, Charles Tickner, Tai Babilonia, David Santee, Sandy Lenz Jackson, Caitlin Carruthers Conrad, Sheryl Franks and Michael Botticelli, Lisa-Marie Allen and Stacey Smith.