Briarcliff Teen to Hold Skating Fundraiser

Name, Age: Nikki Metzger, 16

School: 

Accomplishment: Founding and continuing a five-year tradition of holding the “Fire & Ice Skate-a-Thon” to benefit rare diseases—with proceeds from the March 23 event going to the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation (EDNF). 

Key to Awesomeness: This 16-year-old Briarcliff Manor resident is a young person who is driven to help others.

Back in sixth grade, when a friend was afflicted with a rare, painful disease called Erythromelalgia (EM), Nikki Metzger wanted find a way to support her by raising money for research.

A devoted ice skater since the age of three, Metzger thought she could bring the community together for an evening on the ice that would benefit those battling rare medical issues. Over the past four years, the event, “Fire & Ice Skate-a-Thon,” has raised $30,000 for the STOP EM cause.

“It is important to know about rare medical illnesses and how they affect people,” the 11th grader said. “I hope the message gets out that we should not judge anyone on what they can or can’t do because of a medical condition.”

Metzger herself has been coping with a medical condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder due to faulty collagen. Though the effects of EDS have curtailed some of her ice skating goals, her mother Elizabeth said Nikki has worked around them.

“Nikki has been a competitive figure skater, synchronized skater and her team has competed at the national level,” she said. “And my daughter is now committed to using her skating to give back—by teaching skating, volunteering at the Special Olympics and by holding the Fire & Ice Skate-a-Thon which has really become a community event.”

The money that is raised on the evening of March 23—where teens can skate to music under a disco ball—will go to a foundation for those afflicted with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It will take place at the Westchester Skating Academy (91 Fairview Park Dr.) in Elmsford at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Nikki Metzger has been out selling raffle tickets, requesting sponsorships and spreading awareness about the event—the suggested donation for the fundraiser is $25, and skaters’ admission and rental fees will be waived. 

With pledges from neighbors and friends, door prizes promised from local vendors and even free hot chocolate from the skating venue, the event has become a real group effort.

“Nikki has become a role model of how one kid can make a difference,” her mother said. “People with rare disorders do not have many places to turn to for help, and supporting these foundations is really important.”

For more information, visit www.fireiceskate.com or email Nikki Metzger at fireiceskate@aol.com.

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