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Scott Hamilton & Friends Come Together Once Again For a Cool Cause in Nashville
by Rich and Laura Lynch
On November 24, 2019 Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton & Friends hosted their fourth annual figure skating live concert featuring an all-star sports and musical lineup. An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends was a fund raiser for the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation that exists to educate and empower cancer survivors, their families and oncologists with cutting edge research, options and wellness programs.
Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton has found a home for his charity at the Bridgestone Arena.
Scott Hamilton is a cancer survivor. Through his CARES foundation Scott is supporting early detection programs, immunotherapy and proton therapy in the fight to significantly improve cure rates and quality of life. This unique event in Nashville, Tennessee showcased Olympic, World, and National Champion Figure Skaters performing to live music. Sheryl Crow co-hosted the concert that featured house band SixWire, Kenny Loggins, MercyMe, Gavin DeGraw, John Elefante, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon and Runaway June.
November and December are traditionally the months for thanksgiving and gift giving. This show was about being grateful but also about giving as all proceeds from this entertaining event went to the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation. Musicians and skaters (Katia Gordeeva, Meryl Davis, Charlie White, Alissa Czisny, Mirai Nagasu, Ashley Cain-Gribble, Timothy Leduc, Jeffrey Buttle, Kaitlyn Weaver, Andrew Poie, Max Aaron, Nam Ngyuen and Ryan Bradley) donated their expertise and time to be a part of this experience.
Kenny Loggins, Bart Millard, John Elefante and Gavin DeGraw in Music City.
Scott came out to a warm welcome around 5:15 pm before the first artist took the stage. Kenny Loggins kicked things off as skaters exhibited daring moves during "Danger Zone" and then adding fancy footwork to "Footloose". John Elefante of Kansas fame performed "Point of Know Return" and later the reflective "Dust In The Wind" as the athletes skillfully shimmered over the ice. Ashley and Timothy put on their cowboy skates for a country flavored tune by Runaway June. Gavin Degraw along with his ice support team was engaging too.
Scott returned to talk about his Foundation while giving a shout out to its board members and fellow survivors. This was the ideal time for an exhibition of aspiring skaters who moved to the muse of Runaway June. Sunday's concert also commemorated the 35th Anniversary of Scott's gold medal. In honor of that, it was suggested that patrons could text a donation in the amounts of $19.84 or $35.00 as another way to support the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation and their ongoing efforts to change the world for the better.
World class skating and top notch music are defining factors at Scott Hamilton & Friends.
MercyMe were uplifting with a set that included "I Can Only Imagine" followed by a triple play from members of Journey with the message "Don't Stop Believing" that had followed "Separate Ways" and "Faithfully". The trio from the classic rock legends unveiled the band's new singer named Jason Dertlaka and all three songs were beautifully interpreted by the skaters. Kenny returned to finish off the festivities with "I'm Alright". Scott Hamilton & Friends presented a fabulous night of live music paired with skating. It is an innovative, inspiring event that has become a Nashville tradition that we hope will continue to grow in the coming years as it is a fun combination of disciplines that supports a worthy cause.
The Bridgestone Arena in the heart of Downtown Nashville is home ice for the Predators. It also holds a wide selection of events such as An Evening with Scott Hamilton & Friends. Coming soon to the Bridgestone Arena is WWE, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Ariana Grande, Luke Combs, Jurassic World Live, Monster Jam and more. Tickets to a Bridgestone event and/or donations to the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation make great gifts.
An appearance by Journey and their new member Jason Dertlaka created a big pre-show buzz.
Related Links:
For more information on SCOTT CARES and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links --
Scott Cares |
Sheryl Crow |
Scott Cares 2017 |
Scott Cares 2016 |
Bridgestone Arena
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