(WXYZ) — Over the weekend, the Detroit Skating Club raised more than $10,000 for families impacted by the January plane crash in Washington D.C.
The crash killed 67 people, and among the victims, nearly half were connected to the U.S. ice skating community.
Watch below: ‘Devastating.’ Local skaters who knew DC crash victims share memories of friends
On Saturday night, local skaters honored their memory with an exhibition showcase.
"It feels surreal. It really doesn’t feel real still. Every day I’ll be reminded of it in some way, seeing a photo or a post and it still doesn’t feel real," John Maravilla said.
"This week is when I finally started feeling better. I was really, really depressed the week of. I couldn’t sleep at all and I couldn’t get myself to eat much," Juan Calros Maravilla added.
There were 11 skaters and 13 members who were killed when a U.S. Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet, killing 67 people.
Juan Carlos and his brother, John, got to know some of those skaters over the years at competitions.
This after a military helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight back in January… killing 67 people.
"We grew up with Eddie and Cory and their entire families and I was friends with another one, Spencer," Juan Carlos said.
John put together the program in honor of his late friend, Corey Hanos, on Saturday.
"He was going to skate to Gladiator. He had landed a triple axle which is a really hard jump in skating. It was supposed to be his breakthrough season," John said.
The exhibition skate was a way to financially support family members left behind in the wake of the tragedy. The team brought in more than $10,000.
"It’s been really tough. We have a memorial table here that people, you’ll see continually them just stop take a moment add flowers to the table," Detroit Skating Club Assistant Skating Director Shelly Meyer said. "It’s an ongoing grieving process and it’s really tough to see the skaters and coaches go through this."
All proceeds from the skate go to the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund or directly to the families of those lost.
