Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer Brought Scott Hamilton and PWHL Las Vegas Players to City National Arena

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

The details come from 8 News Now reporter JC Fernandez, whose story "Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer returns to Las Vegas" ran Oct. 8 and was republished by City National Arena. Fernandez previewed the event live on the ice with Carolyn Mortenson, Senior Director of Skating Programs, the Thursday morning before the big weekend.

Saturday, Oct. 10: The Frozen 5K

The weekend started with the Frozen 5K. Skaters of every experience level skated 35 laps around the rink in honor of someone affected by cancer. Pre-registration was required, and there were two start times, 4 p.m. and 4:50 p.m. Unlike a race on a road, the point was not to finish first. The point was to finish, one lap at a time, for someone you care about.

The hockey side of the event had its own reward. According to the 8 News Now story, the top 25 hockey fundraisers earned a spot in an exclusive skills clinic led by PWHL Las Vegas staff and players. One of the players named was Hayley Scamurra, a 2026 Olympic champion. For a young hockey player in Las Vegas, getting coached by an Olympic gold medalist on home ice is the kind of day you remember.

How a Frozen 5K Works

If you have ever done a charity walk or fun run, a Frozen 5K will feel familiar. Skaters sign up ahead of time and raise money from friends and family. On event day, they head out on the ice in groups and count their laps. In Las Vegas, the goal was 35 laps. Some skaters glide through them quickly. Others take it slow, hold a friend's hand or stop to rest along the boards. Nobody is timing you, and nobody is judging your form.

What makes it special is the "why." Many skaters carry the name of the person they are skating for, and the laps become a quiet way to honor them. For families going through a cancer diagnosis right now, being surrounded by a rink full of people doing the same thing can be a real source of comfort.

Sunday, Oct. 11: The Celebration Ice Show

On Sunday at 5 p.m., the weekend closed with the Celebration Ice Show, hosted by Scott Hamilton himself. The guest star was Andrew Torgashev, a 2026 Olympian. Ice shows like this mix polished routines from top skaters with performances from local skaters, so families got to see world-class figure skating up close in a community rink rather than a giant arena.

Las Vegas also has some skating royalty of its own. During the Thursday preview, 8 News Now spotted Oksana Baiul, the 1994 Olympic women's figure skating champion and a Las Vegas resident, teaching her students at City National Arena. It is a good reminder that the arena is not only a hockey building. It is a working rink where serious figure skaters train every day.

A group of skaters in matching blue shirts on an ice rink during a Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer charity event for the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation

Four Olympians, One Rink

It is not every weekend that a community rink in Summerlin has this many Olympians in the building. Here is who was part of the event, based on the 8 News Now coverage:

Scott Hamilton, Olympic gold medalist in figure skating and the host of the Celebration Ice Show.
Andrew Torgashev, a 2026 Olympian and the guest star of Sunday's show.
Hayley Scamurra, a 2026 Olympic champion and one of the PWHL Las Vegas players who took part in the hockey skills clinic.
Oksana Baiul, the 1994 Olympic women's figure skating champion, who lives in Las Vegas and was on the ice coaching her students during the preview.

For local kids who skate or play hockey, that is a lot of inspiration under one roof. It also shows how much the skating world has grown in Las Vegas, a desert city that many people still do not think of as an ice sports town.

Hockey and Figure Skating, Side by Side

One thing that stood out about this year's event was how it brought the two ice sports together. Figure skating and hockey often feel like separate worlds, even when they share the same rink. Figure skaters train early in the morning and late at night, and hockey teams fill the ice in between. Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer gave both groups a shared reason to show up.

The hockey fundraising competition, with a PWHL clinic as the prize, pulled in hockey families who might not normally go to a figure skating event. The ice show, hosted by an Olympic figure skater, gave hockey fans a reason to stay for Sunday. That mix helps a charity reach more people, and it builds a stronger skating community at City National Arena.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Almost every family has been touched by cancer in some way. Events like Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer give people a simple, hands-on way to do something about it. You do not have to be a great skater to take part in a Frozen 5K. You just have to show up, lace up and skate your laps for someone you love. That kind of event brings neighbors together in a way that a donation page alone cannot.

It also matters for local hockey families. The skills clinic for the top 25 hockey fundraisers tied the fundraiser to youth hockey in a smart way. Kids who raised money for cancer research got a reward that money cannot easily buy: time on the ice with pro players and staff from PWHL Las Vegas. That teaches young players that being part of a hockey community means giving back, not just playing games.

For girls who play hockey, the clinic carried extra weight. PWHL Las Vegas is a professional women's team, and Hayley Scamurra is an Olympic champion. Seeing women play hockey at the highest level, and then getting coached by them, shows young girls in the valley a real path in the sport. We wrote about the team's plans for youth programs in PWHL Las Vegas Plans Girls' Hockey Clinics.

Finally, the event shows how much City National Arena means to Summerlin and the whole valley. On any given week it hosts Golden Knights practices, youth hockey, figure skating lessons, public skating and now a national cancer fundraiser with Olympians. For families who live in Summerlin, Summerlin South, the southwest valley or Centennial Hills, it is a community center on ice, just a short drive away.

What the Money Supports

The Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation describes its mission as funding advanced, innovative cancer research that treats the cancer while sparing the patient. In plain words, the foundation focuses on research into treatments that fight cancer with fewer harsh side effects. Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer is one of the main ways it raises money. The program travels to rinks in different cities, where people sign up, raise money and then celebrate at a Frozen 5K or an ice show.

Background and History

Scott Hamilton is one of the best-known names in American figure skating. He is an Olympic gold medalist, and his foundation carries his name, and Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer uses the sport he loves to raise money for the cause.

The idea behind the event is simple and personal. The program's tagline is "Honoring Someone You Know." Skaters dedicate their laps to a family member, friend or coworker who has faced cancer. Some skate for people who are in treatment right now. Some skate in memory of someone they lost. Every lap counts, whether a skater is a beginner holding the wall or a competitive skater gliding past.

Scott Hamilton looks through a microscope in a cancer research lab as a researcher in a blue lab gown looks on, showing the research his foundation funds

The Vegas Golden Knights Foundation's role as a partner fits a pattern. The team's foundation has supported a wide range of local causes, including health and youth sports, and you can read about some of its recent giving in our post on Golden Knights Foundation grants. Partnering with a national cancer charity at the team's own practice rink brings that work right into the neighborhood.

The PWHL connection is newer. The Professional Women's Hockey League is adding a Las Vegas team, and PWHL Las Vegas has been building its roster, staff and community programs ahead of its first season. Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer gave the team an early chance to meet local hockey families face to face, months before many of them will see the team play.

What Happens Next

The Las Vegas event is over for this year, but the work it supports keeps going. Money raised through Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer goes toward the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation's research mission. If you missed the weekend and still want to give, the foundation's website, scottcares.org, is the best place to learn about the program and how to donate.

For PWHL Las Vegas, the big date on the calendar is coming soon. According to FOX5 Vegas, the team's home opener is Sunday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. against PWHL Detroit at T-Mobile Arena. Families who met players at the skills clinic will now get to watch them play on the biggest hockey stage in town. Ticket details are at thepwhl.com/tickets. You can also read about the team's first games in our post PWHL Vegas Plays First Games.

As for future Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer events in Las Vegas, no date for a next edition was listed in the coverage we reviewed. The fact that the event "returned" to City National Arena this year suggests the valley is a regular stop. Watch City National Arena's news page and the foundation's site for future dates.

Local hockey families should also keep an eye on PWHL Las Vegas off the ice. The skills clinic at this event was an early look at how the team plans to connect with young players in the valley. As the season gets closer, more clinics and community events are likely to follow, and they tend to fill up fast.

Ryan's Take

When I help families decide where to live, I always tell them to look past the house and at the community around it. A neighborhood is more than its streets and schools. It is the places where people come together. City National Arena is one of those places for Summerlin and the west side of the valley. On one weekend it hosted an Olympic champion's cancer fundraiser, a skills clinic with pro women's hockey players and a figure skating show, all a few minutes from home.

That is the kind of thing that makes people fall in love with where they live. It is not flashy, and it is not on the Strip. It is local families skating laps for someone they love, and kids getting coached by Olympians. If you are thinking about moving to Summerlin or the southwest valley, community events like this are a real part of what you are buying into.

A young female figure skater performs a routine on an indoor ice rink, like the local skaters who train at City National Arena

What You Can Do

If you want to support cancer research, visit scottcares.org to learn about the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation and its Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer program. If a future Las Vegas date is announced, consider signing up for the Frozen 5K. It is open to skaters of all levels, and you can skate in honor of someone in your own life.

Ways to Help Without Lacing Up

Not everyone is comfortable on skates, and that is fine. There are plenty of ways to support a cause like this from the stands or from home:

Sponsor a skater. When a friend, coworker or neighbor signs up for a Frozen 5K, chip in to their fundraising page.
Go to the show. Buying a ticket to an ice show supports the cause and gives your family a fun night out.
Share the date. Fundraisers grow by word of mouth. Pass along the next event to local skating and hockey families.
Give directly. The foundation's website lists ways to donate to its research work at any time of year.

Every one of those steps helps, and none of them requires you to skate 35 laps.

If your kids play hockey, keep an eye out for future fundraisers that offer clinics with pro players. Events like this are a great way for young players to give back and get a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the same time. Following City National Arena and PWHL Las Vegas on social media is the easiest way to hear about them early.

If your kids are more into figure skating, check City National Arena for figure skating lessons and public skating sessions. And if you want to support women's hockey in Las Vegas, the PWHL Las Vegas home opener on Dec. 6 at T-Mobile Arena is a great place to start.