Olympian Todd Eldredge Hosts Chevrolet "It's Great To Skate" Festival In Metro Detroit
Olympian Teaches over 200 Local Sweepstakes Winners Skating Basics
DETROIT - Hometown Olympian Todd Eldredge will take to the ice with local sweepstakes winners at The Onyx Rochester Ice Arena in Rochester Hills on Saturday, June 22nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the Chevy "It's Great to Skate" Festival.
This is the first of six Chevy "It's Great to Skate" Festivals in conjunction with the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA). The festivals are designed to encourage people of all ages to take to the ice and enjoy a day of free skating and entertainment.
During the Chevy "It's Great to Skate" Festival, 240 metro-Detroit sweepstakes winners will participate in skating clinics taught by Eldredge and his coach, Richard Callaghan. And outside the rink, friends, family and the general public can enjoy a fun-filled day with prizes, food, and carnival-like entertainment, including a slide obstacle course, giant tricycle races, bungee runs and pro-shot basketball. Eldredge will be available from 1 - 2 p.m. to sign autographs. The local clinic participants are winners of a random-drawing sweepstakes, which they entered by logging on to www.usfsa.org/chevyskatefest.
"Todd Eldredge is an ideal ambassador for figure skating, and our partnership with him and Chevy's sponsorship of the USFSA is a great combination to encourage the people of metro Detroit, Chevy's hometown, to try figure skating," said Dianne Harper, Chevrolet promotional manager. "With the exciting skating performances at the Olympic Games still fresh in our minds, people are considering figure skating as a hobby or competitive sport."
A native of the metro Detroit area, Eldredge is a six-time U.S. National Champion, three-time U.S. Olympian ('02, '98, '92), and 1996 World Champion. "It's great to be here in metro-Detroit, where I've trained for years, and share the joy skating can bring to some eager beginners," said Eldredge. "Figure skating is a major part of my life, so working with Chevrolet and the USFSA to encourage more people to lace up their skates is a natural extension of my lifelong pursuit and career."
"Since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake, skating clubs across the country have experienced increased numbers of people coming to skate and inquiring about skating lessons," said USFSA President Phyllis Howard.
Metro Detroit is the first stop of the six-festival tour hosted by Eldredge, Chevy and the USFSA. The remaining five cities in the tour include: Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, Phoenix and Philadelphia. Eldredge has conducted skating clinics for Chevrolet in the past through the Chevy Skating Spectacular Sweepstakes and the torchbearer nomination program for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch Relay sponsored by Chevrolet.
Chevrolet has a long history of supporting the dreams of aspiring athletes through partnerships with the United States Olympic Committee as well as many sport national governing bodies, including the USFSA. Through its extensive support of the organizations and their member athletes, Chevrolet helps make the Olympic dream a reality by providing high quality training, coaching, equipment, transportation and facilities for athletes.
Chevrolet's sponsorship of the U.S. Figure Skating Team & United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) includes the following:
- Chevrolet has been an official sponsor of the U.S. Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Team since 1996.
- Chevy Scholastic Honors Team, which recognizes students who distinguish themselves in figure skating and high school academics, gives annually 12 USFSA competitors a $1,000 scholarship stipend.
- Chevy sponsors the Chevy/U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills program, a nationally recognized program that helps young athletes reach their skill potential.
- Chevy Team 2006 provides special team training to top novice skaters identified by the USFSA.
- Chevrolet hosts the annual Chevrolet Skating Spectacular, the Exhibition of Champions at the National Championships.
For additional information regarding Chevrolet sponsorships, please visit http://www.chevrolet.com/relationships/index.htm.
