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Figure skating club celebrates 40 years

When the Abbotsford Skating Club hits the ice at MSA Arena on Saturday to celebrate its 40th anniversary, it will truly be a family affair.
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Longtime Abbotsford Skating Club executive members Irene Franklin (left) and Lynne Wright (right) watch Wright’s daughter Stacy Geddes and granddaughters Megan and Taralyn Wright and Franklin’s granddaughter Mica Kerr as they rehearse for the 40th anniversary ice show at MSA Arena.

When the Abbotsford Skating Club hits the ice at MSA Arena on Saturday to celebrate its 40th anniversary, it will truly be a family affair.

Lynne Wright's clan is just one of several local families who can boast three generations of involvement with the local figure skating association.

Wright, a longtime volunteer with the club, currently serves as vice president. Her daughter Stacy Geddes skated with the club during her younger years and is now a coach. Granddaughters Megan, 12, and Taralyn, 10, will be participating in the 40th anniversary ice show, entitled "Skating Four Decades: Tracing Our Stories." The show runs at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday at MSA Arena.

"I love to see them involved, because I saw what it did for Stacy," Wright said.

"It's not just the physical exercise – it's the self-discipline to be able to accomplish things you feel good about.

"When you see their faces the day they come home from passing a test or after they first land a certain jump, it's just an amazing feeling."

Highlights of the club's four decades include Michelle McDonald-Wheeler's rise to become one of the world's top ice dancers. She won the junior national title in 1981 (with Patrick Mandley) and the senior national crown in 1991 (with Martin Smith), and represented Canada at three World Championships.

Volunteers from the club have also gone on to make a major impact on the international stage. Bev Viger, for instance, was the sport manager for figure skating at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Tickets for the anniversary show are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and youth, and children three and under are free.

Past members and volunteers are also encouraged to contribute their stories and photos to a club history project that will be displayed an an awards/reunion event on April 30 (12:30 p.m., Straiton Hall). An online history will eventually be created as well. Call 604-852-4278 for more information.