Southport Skating Club member honored as a top contributor

Valarie Berger, a longtime member of the Southport Skating Club in Gurnee, was recently honored as one of U.S. Figure Skating's Top 100 contributors.

As part of its centennial celebration, the organization is featuring 100 members who have grown the sport of figure skating in their local communities throughout the year's "Skating" magazine issues. Berger was featured in the April 2021 "Skating" magazine.

For more than 12 years, Berger was the point of contact and driver behind the club's Summer Classic competition. She expanded the event from one to three days, made videos included in the entry fee, and even created a scavenger hunt for officials during their downtime.

Berger also created a grant to create "Rising Stars," a stand-alone therapeutic skating program that runs once or twice a week.

With the onset of COVID-19 and the cancellation of many events, Berger wanted to make sure the sport was still growing. She led her club and helped others virtually run competitions.

"She started as a parent just trying to learn more about the sport her daughter loved," her daughter, Rebecca Pozen, told "Skating" magazine. "She has become such an integral and appreciated part of not only our club, but the entire Midwest skating community."

Read Berger's full feature from the April 2021 "Skating" magazine at www.usfigureskating.org/news/article/aprils-skating-covers-1950s.

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