Nearly 30 young figure skaters from beginner to professional levels participated in the Halloween Spooktacular Fall Fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island at Iceland Skating Arena in Herricks on Sunday afternoon.
Skate school director at Iceland Farah Gholamazad, who was coordinator for the fundraiser, said the Ronald McDonald House was selected because it is a “local-based charity. We’ll do anything we can to help.”
The Spooktacular is one of a variety of performances Iceland holds, including a Christmas show on Dec. 18.
“It’s a great way to raise money for a charity, and re-enrich our community,” Gholamazad said.
The event opened with Lea “Sunshine” Quezada, an artist on rapper 50 Cent’s G-Note Records, singing the National Anthem.
Following her performance, Quezada was presented with flowers from the young skaters and received an enthusiastic round of applause.
“It’s an honor every time I can sing the National Anthem,” said Quezada, who is a cousin of Gholamazad. “I’m just happy I can be a part of this.”
Costumes included a princess, witch- and vampire-themed attire by William Mike Hawes, who was the final performer before a group of skaters opened the finale with a stylized dance to the popular song “Gangnam Style” by South Korean singer PSY.
Ranging from age three to early 20s, each performer provided his or her own unique edge to the performance. Each performer selected their own music, which ranged from orchestral pieces to pop classics such as “September” by Earth Wind and Fire, and the modern-day hit “Firework” by Katy Perry.
In addition to the live performances the event included raffle prizes, a Chinese auction, Halloween-themed food, and a stand set up with products from Merrick-based Sew Who Cares, a local business that sells a variety of knitted items such as hats, scarfs and gloves.
Owners Donna Scalice, a member of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, and Lisa Ventura, a resident of Elmont, stood by as many attending the event purchased items to stay warm in the area.
Daniela Printz, a coach at Iceland for over 20 years, was also on hand for the performance.
“We do shows all-year-round, and its wonderful to still be doing them,” Printz said, who coached olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes briefly when she was five years old. Printz had one of her students participating, however two could not attend due to warnings from Hurricane Sandy.
Items for the raffle were donated by local businesses, including Luigi’s Pizzeria, Merrick Cinemas, Matty’s Toy Shop, Long Island Pictures, Papa Joe’s, From Me To You and the New York Islanders Hockey Association.
