NEWS RELEASE – For immediate release

Elizabeth Manley Winter Classic: your opportunity to see tomorrow’s skating stars… today!

Gloucester Skating Club hosts inaugural edition of Skate STARSkate Championship Qualifying Competition

February 21, 2018 Orléans, ON Gloucester Skating Club

Fans of fancy footwork, spins and jumps, mark your calendars! During this 30th Anniversary year, ’s Calgary ’88 Olympic sweetheart returns home to open the first ever Elizabeth Manley Winter Classic skating competition.

From February 23 to 25, 2018, over 600 skaters, representing 51 clubs, primarily from Eastern Ontario and Western Québec, their coaches, families, as well as Skate Ontario officials, will descend on the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex in Orléans, Ontario, to compete in the 2018 Elizabeth Manley Winter Classic.

This inaugural skate competition, hosted by the Gloucester Skating Club (GSC), is an official Skate Ontario STARSkate Championship qualifying event, featuring skaters of all ages and levels. Full programming details and information are available on the Skate Ontario website.

The official social media hashtag for the competition is #ManleyClassic. Follow along with the Gloucester Skating Club on Facebook and Twitter.

The Gloucester Skating Club is truly “Where Dreams Begin” for many skating stars, past and present. Currently one of the 6 largest clubs in Canada, the GSC has been the home and training centre of many accomplished National, International and Olympic skaters and coaches since 1971.

NOTE TO MEDIA OUTLETS: Please advise us in advance if you will be covering the event by e-mailing the Gloucester Skating Club.

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IMPORTANT DATES AND TIMES

• Friday, February 23 at 5:30pm - Elizabeth Manley, Olympic and World Silver Medallist, joined by Mayor Jim Watson, City of Ottawa, Marie-France Lalonde, Ontario’s Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Minister of Francophone Affairs and MPP (Ottawa-Orléans), Nathalie Des Rosiers , MPP (Ottawa- Vanier), and Bob Monette, Councillor (Orléans Ward), will “cut” a ceremonial ribbon, officially opening her namesake competition.

• Medal presentations can be expected every hour on the half hour.

TWEET-ABLE QUICK FACTS

• @GSCskaters hosting #ManleyClassic skating competition @OttawaCity’s #BobMacQuarrie Rec Complex in #Orleans, February 23-26, 2018 • #ManleyClassic event schedule available on @SkateOntario’s website: http://bit.ly/2FZEWTP • Over 600 skaters representing 51 clubs from #Ontario / #WesternQuebec are competing at #ManleyClassic. • #ManleyClassic skating events are run on the 100’ x 200’ Elizabeth Manley and 85’x200’ Roger Sénécal icepads at the #BobMacQuarrie Rec Complex in #Orleans

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Lisa Elliot, Event Chair: 613-863-2304 [email protected] Darlene Joseph, Director of Skating: 613-795-2617 [email protected] Tanis Gilbert, VP, Communications 613-794-3181 [email protected]

Claire Daugulis, Manager, Communications and Branding, Skate Ontario (519) 282-2424 [email protected]