FACING PAGE:
Alissandra Aronow skates
with Collin Brubaker
in 2016.

CLOCKWISE:
A member of Figure
Skating in Harlem per-
forms.

Figure Skating in Harlem

FSH board member
Julianne Wagner, Geneva
Williams and Sharon Cohen
at the program announce-
ment at Campus Martius in
November

Geneva Williams,
Denise Ilitch and
Alissandra Aronow

PHOTO BY MONICA MORGAN

Figure Skating in Detroit
co-chair Meryl Davis per-
formed with Charlie White
at the program announce-
ment.

in Detroit, and I was inspired
by hearing some of the alums
speak at that gala.”
Cohen, who never had been
to Detroit until thinking about
cities that could benefit from
skating opportunities, has visit-
ed the area a dozen times since
Detroit was in consideration,
and she will continue her local
commitment.
“We looked for criteria to
be in place for our model to
be successful,” says Cohen,
who has been a United States
Figure Skating (USFS) double
gold medalist in figures and
freestyle and a gold level ice
dancer. “Of the seven cities we
looked at, Detroit met all of
them.
“It had a population in need
that could benefit from our
program, and it had an ice

facility accessible to the com-
munity. There also was a phil-
anthropic community to sup-
port its development.”
Cohen launched FSH 20
years ago, after a chance
meeting with a group of East
Harlem girls who were eager to
learn how to figure skate.
“Over the years, I learned
that when you provide a safe
space and you give young
women an opportunity, they
just grab it,” says Cohen, whose
program has been directed
toward girls of color. “It was so
profound to see the girls grow
and change before my eyes.
“I am Jewish and was raised
with a great sense of social
justice, service and the ability
to create opportunities. That
sensibility informs everything
I’ve done. It takes a little bit of

chutzpah to go into a commu-
nity that’s not your own, learn
from that and show something
new that can be learned. It’s
been a terrific exchange.”
Cohen easily describes the
diverse subjects that have been
part of instructional experi-
ences as related to skating
performance — health, science,
communication, music, financ-
es and leadership.
Geneva Williams, who has
held executive positions at
United Way and City Connect,
is heading up administration
of FSD. She was introduced to
Cohen by a friend who is prin-
cipal of a Harlem school work-
ing with FSH.
“We will be introducing our
program through a series of
community workshops in the
spring and then a summer

camp,” Williams says. “In the
fall, we’ll have afterschool ses-
sions with on-ice instruction
and off-ice conditioning and
instruction.
“There will be an interview
process for parents and girls
to choose participants for the
afterschool program. Raising
financial support comes in
because we provide skates,
equipment and instruction.”
FSD has partnered with the
Michigan Women’s Foundation,
which is making office space
available in Downtown Detroit,
and there are opportunities for
volunteers to serve as mentors,
tutors and varied career role
models.
Besides Aronow, the
Champions Committee
includes Meryl Davis and
Charlie White, Olympic gold

jn

medalists; Denise Ilitch,
president of Ilitch Enterprises;
and Peg Tallet, chief commu-
nity engagement officer of the
Michigan Women’s Foundation.
“Growing up in a family that
is so focused on creating a pos-
itive impact was a motivator in
my involvement,” Aronow says.
“My late grandparents, Max
and Marjorie Fisher, were the
most giving and loving people I
have known. They taught me to
dream bigger, do more and be
a leader. They worked to create
justice and improve the world.
“The opportunity to share
what I have learned with these
young girls is exciting and
humbling. I am so grateful to
be working with such a pas-
sionate and talented team of
leaders.” •

January 12 • 2017

45