Nancy Kerrigan speaks at benefit for skating community members who died in a plane crash

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's been nearly six weeks since a Black Hawk Helicopter collided with an American Airlines commercial flight in Washington D.C. 67 people lost their lives that night.

The majority of the victims were prominent figure skaters and their coaches. Several of those skaters lived or trained in the Delaware Valley.

On Saturday night a special benefit called "Skate for the Heart" was held in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood to honor the victims of flight 5342.

Olympic Silver Medalist Nancy Kerrigan joined supporters of the skating community as they continue to grieve the lives lost in the crash.

"My message always is we are stronger than we think," said Nancy Kerrigan, adding, "We have fallen many many thousands of times and we learn to get back up from the start."

Through tears in her eyes, Nancy Kerrigan, a pillar in the skating community, is sharing her knowledge on what it means to get back up in the toughest times.

"It's my community, you know skating no matter what rank it is I feel like there's this camaraderie and any rank I go in, that doesn't matter your age would do the same thing we have the same passion for a sport," said Kerrigan.

On Saturday night the group of skaters linked hands at the Wissahickon Skating Club to mourn the 14 skaters, their coaches and relatives - who were among the 64 on board an American airlines flight killed when the plane collided with a black hawk helicopter in Washington D.C.

Local skating clubs here in the Delaware Valley lost members on the plane. Skaters exhibited their grief through their art.

Figure skater Meghan Huffman opened and closed the program. She competed in multiple competitions with Eddie Zhou who died in the crash.

Many people in the audience have a connection to the skaters who were impacted by the accident. Russ Witherby, who was Kerrigan's teammate, and now serves as director of the Wissahickon Skating Club organized tonight's "Skate for the Heart."

"The grieving process takes sometimes a lifetime so to say that, sorry, we're all still grieving this whole loss is an understatement," said Russ Witherby, Director of Figure Skating at the Wissahickon Skating Club.

Proceeds from the benefit go to the U.S. Figure Skating Family Support Fund.