UNITY-- Unity Skating Club hosted their annual skating carnival March 2, with the theme this year being “Fun and Games.” As usual, everyone got their chance to perform, from the youngest skaters eagerly scanning the crowd for Mom and Dad to graduating skater Avery Paradis.
First-year CanSkater Adalane MacDonald won the CanSkater of the Year award. As the award was presented by Coach Hayleigh Royce, the audience was told Adalane “has gone from not standing by herself the first day and saying she didn’t want to go back to asking daily if she has skating today.”
With her newfound confidence on the ice, “she loves to show everyone how fast she can go.” Adalane was also commended for “the most contagious smile” and always wanting “to make sure everyone around her is happy and smiling. Her bubbly personality is irresistible and contagious.”
The Most Improved Skater award went to Danica Virtudez. Danica is also a first-year CanSkater and “really determined to be the best skater she can be within her first year of joining … She tries her best to attend all of the practices, which she is always excited to go to, and she is very proud of herself when she learns new skills and styles of skating.”
The carnival program included four solos, two duos, five trios and six larger group numbers as well as the grand finale with all skaters on the ice.
Skating club members who will be graduating high school in June traditionally perform a solo. This year the Unity Skating Club has only one graduating member – Avery Paradis. Avery, who’s been with the club since the age of five, skated to You’ll be Alright Kid.
Avery had asked the announcer to “thank [coached] Colleen [Smith]and Michelle [McLean] for pushing her to get to where she is today, her skating peers for the memories they’ve made, and most importantly her parents for all the support they have given her along the way.” Avery plans to take a year off school before pursuing education in the esthetics field.
Grace Lindsay, who graduated last year, was invited back as a guest performer. Lindsay’s performance last year was cut short when she had a bad fall and she was “excited to be invited back” with the announcer saying, “we are just as thrilled to have Grace return and show us her solo.” Lindsay was visiting from Saskatoon where she is a student at the University of Saskatchewan, with the goal of a career in veterinary medicine.
Ten-year-old Parker MacKay, whose dream is to be in the Olympics one day, and nine-year-old Willoh Weber, who attended her first skating competition this year, performed the other two solos of the afternoon.
Almost as much fun as watching the skating routines was seeing the skaters scramble on the ice to pick up flowers and stuffed animals thrown on by fans after each performance. Fun music, colourful costumes and many smiles on the faces of the skaters of all ages rounded out a great afternoon of local entertainment.
