Some of the best young figure skaters in the Chicago area gathered Saturday for a tribute to those who died in the January plane crash over Washington, D.C.

Figure skaters at Twin Rinks Ice Pavilion used the ice as a way to express emotion, but it also allowed them to stop and grieve for the 28 figure skaters and coaches who died in January's plane crash.

A group of Chicago area figure skaters held a benefit on Friday to support the families of the figure skaters and coaches who were killed in a mid-air collision in January in Washington, D.C.

At the end of his figure skating performance, when the last note of his parents’ favorite song played in an arena packed with spectators and heavy with sorrow, Maxim Naumov dropped to his knees at the center of the ice. He remained there for what seemed like forever, awash in a spotlight, looking lost and sobbing.

Organizers of a figure skating event in Washington say they raised $1.2 million for victims of the D.C. plane crash and first responders.

The Twin Rinks Ice Pavillion hosted a memorial exhibition Friday evening called Skate for the 28, honoring the 28 members of the figure skating community who died on the American Airlines flight involved in the Jan.