Three Pasadena Student Skaters Host Second Fire-Recovery Fundraiser at Their Home Rink

Three members of the Pasadena Figure Skating Club are returning to the rink where they train to host a fundraiser for Eaton Fire recovery — the same rink that sits next to the Pasadena Convention Center, which served as an evacuation shelter for displaced residents when the fire broke out in January 2025.

The second annual Skate for LA fundraiser, scheduled for March 14 at the Pasadena Ice Skating Center, 300 E. Green St., will direct all proceeds to three organizations assisting families still rebuilding in Pasadena and Altadena: the Pasadena Educational Foundation’s Eaton Fire Response Fund, the Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund at the Pasadena Community Foundation, and Altadena Girls.

The event runs from 8 to 10 p.m. and costs $30 per person, with skate rental included.

The organizers — Kelsey Lee, a sophomore at Maranatha High School, and Ailis Hong and Carys Hong, freshmen at Westridge School — have been members of the Pasadena Figure Skating Club for more than five years, according to the event’s GoFundMe page.

The fundraiser originated the morning after the Eaton Fire started on January 7, 2025, according to the organizers’ written statement on the GoFundMe page.

Lee saw the Pasadena Convention Center — which the organizers describe as located just behind the ice rink — being converted into an evacuation center. That moment prompted the first Skate for LA fundraiser, held later in 2025.

“Although it has been over a year since the Eaton Fire, many families are still working to rebuild their lives,” the organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page. “We are asking for your generosity and support as they continue their recovery.”

The Eaton Fire, which ignited in Eaton Canyon, burned roughly 14,000 acres and destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena and Pasadena. The Pasadena Convention Center housed hundreds of evacuees in the days following the fire, according to Pasadena Now reporting at the time.

The March 14 event will include a DJ, photo booth, and food. Cash is the preferred payment method; GoFundMe and Apple Pay will also be accepted at the door. Those who cannot attend can donate through the event’s GoFundMe page at gofund.me/9cd5ef347. RSVPs and questions can be directed to skateforla@gmail.com.

The three beneficiary organizations each serve a distinct role in fire recovery. The Pasadena Educational Foundation’s fund supports students and families affected by the Eaton Fire, according to the organizers. The Pasadena Community Foundation’s fund provides relief and recovery assistance. Altadena Girls, a nonprofit founded by a teenager days after the fire, supports girls who lost homes and belongings.

“The idea for this fundraiser began the morning after the first night of the fire, when Kelsey saw the Pasadena Convention Center — located just behind her rink — being transformed into an evacuation center,” the organizers wrote. “That moment inspired the first Skate for LA fundraiser last year.”

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