RISE to Remember Winchester Figure Skating Family

This past Tuesday, Feb. 15, marked the 50-year anniversary that a plane carrying the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating team crashed on its approach to the Brussels airport, killing all 34 members on board.

On the plane was Winchester resident, U.S. figure skating coach, nine-time U.S. champion and bronze medalist at the 1932 Olympics – Maribel Vinson-Owen. Her two daughters – Laurence Owen and Maribel Owen were also killed in the crash.

In 1961, Laurence won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the North American Figure Skating Championships before making an appearance on the front page of Sports Illustrated, while her sister took home the doubles title with partner Dudley Richards.

And on Thursday night, , along with the other members of the U.S. national team, will be honored in a one-night showing of the documentary – RISE.

The movie will be broadcast live from New York City to over 500 movie theaters nationwide at 8 p.m. Interested residents can head over to the which will be showing the event.

Matt Lauer will be hosting the show, which will have interviews with Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano and Michelle Kwan, among others. While the movie begins at 8 p.m., there will be a pre-show starting at 7:30 p.m.

"It will be an historic and emotional night for U.S. Figure Skating," said Patricia St. Peter, president of U.S. Figure Skating in a press release. "Our sport will be showcased like never before as we honor the 1961 World Team and celebrate the joy that figure skating has brought to millions of Americans through the years."

Shortly after the crash, on Feb. 23, 1961, a Memorial Fund was created to help aid skaters financially both on and off the ice. The fund awards approximately $300,000 annually in grants and scholarships to skaters in need. Proceeds from RISE will be used to further the mission of the fund. 

And in Winchester, Sherman “Whip” Saltmarsh, who was a family friend and chair of the Board of Selectmen at the time, named the in order to honor the family.

"It was the least we could do," Saltmarsh said. "It's one of the first things we did after the crash. I wanted to name that school after them."

In order to purchase tickets or find out what other theaters are showing the movie go here.