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| Sep 09, 2010 - 03:04 PM |
Queen City News - Helena's FREE Weekly Newspaper |
Helena, Montana |
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For Helena figure skaters Aislinn Munck, 14, and Jacquie Pembroke, 15, years of hard work are about to pay off. On Sunday, August 1, they will be the only skaters from Montana who have qualified and will take the ice in the 2004 National Showcase Figure Skating Championship in Dallas, Texas.
Both girls began skating nearly 10 years ago, taking their first tentative steps and first falls on the ice at Helena’s Ice Arena. As members of the Helena Figure Skating Club, they have been at it ever since. Ice time to practice was sometimes difficult to find, requiring them to rise at 5 a.m. to be on the ice at 6 a.m. and then off to school afterwards.
Both attended skate camps and competitions throughout Montana, continually improving their skills and passing the rigorous tests sanctioned by the United States Figure Skating Association in order to move up in the rankings.
Today, thousands of hours and hundreds of bruises, split elbows and knees later, both stand on the threshold of realizing their dream—competing for a national championship.
Because the Helena Ice Arena closed down its ice in June, the girls have been traveling every week to Bozeman and Butte during July to practice their routines in preparation for competition.
In addition to maintaining their skating skills, Aislinn and Jacquie have been working this summer to raise the funds needed to attend the national competition. They have done face painting at Alive@Five every Wednesday downtown, and they have also done face painting and sold jewelry at the Farmer’s Market. Hot dog sales at County Market, assembly jobs at Allegra Printing (formerly Insty Prints) and plant cleaning at Outside In have helped build their travel fund.
More than a dozen downtown businesses currently display donation jars to help them get to Dallas. The girls have earned nearly $800 toward the $3,000 total cost of competing. Elkhorn Federal Credit Union has established a special account for anyone wishing to make a donation to help these two special young Helena ladies realize their dream.
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The Queen City News is published every Wednesday in Helena, MT, by Mossback Media, LLC.
Contents are copyrighted and cannot be used in any form without prior permission from the QCN.
Copyright © Queen City News, 2002
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