An Evening with Champions was founded by U.S. Mens Skating Silver Medalist John Misha Petkevich in 1970. At the time, John was a Junior at Harvard University living in Eliot House. With the help of fellow peers, members of the Eliot House Committee, and the Harvard Department of Athletics, Petkevich was able to put on the first Evening With Champions.
After routinely visiting the Children's Memorial Hospital in Brookline for check-ups on his knees, Petkevich remembered a particular incident in October of 1970 of a boy stricken with cancer. An operation was planned, but in its execution the child was accidentally paralyzed from the waist down, and as a result was forced to to stay in the hospital for a year or more. The daily hospital bills, including intensive care and pain medication, were being covered by the Jimmy Fund.
With this in mind, Petkevich had the idea to fundraise for the Jimmy Fund and planned on doing so by creating a figure skating show. Planning for the first show was high stress as Petkevich and his peers had to recruit skaters before even being able to reserve the rink. But by November, the group was able to reserve Watson Rink for December 4th. This would be the date of the first Evening.
Now in it's 52nd year, An Evening With Champions is excited to continue fundraising for the Jimmy Fund!
After routinely visiting the Children's Memorial Hospital in Brookline for check-ups on his knees, Petkevich remembered a particular incident in October of 1970 of a boy stricken with cancer. An operation was planned, but in its execution the child was accidentally paralyzed from the waist down, and as a result was forced to to stay in the hospital for a year or more. The daily hospital bills, including intensive care and pain medication, were being covered by the Jimmy Fund.
With this in mind, Petkevich had the idea to fundraise for the Jimmy Fund and planned on doing so by creating a figure skating show. Planning for the first show was high stress as Petkevich and his peers had to recruit skaters before even being able to reserve the rink. But by November, the group was able to reserve Watson Rink for December 4th. This would be the date of the first Evening.
Now in it's 52nd year, An Evening With Champions is excited to continue fundraising for the Jimmy Fund!