Make a Wish

On a warm January day in Burbank, California, Ilia Kulik helped make the wishes of several children, diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses, come true. Ilia, along with Scott Hamilton, Katia Gordeeva, Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski, took the afternoon off from the Stars on Ice tour to come out and skate with kids from The Make-A-Wish Foundation, the largest and oldest wish-granting organization in the world.

Ilia and the others arrived in long black limousines. They were all dressed very nicely. First they were ushered into a small side room and then they were led in pairs to another room for interviews. Ilia and Kristi met the press together. All major news stations were there covering the event and the press conference. Unfortunately I was still jet lagged from my SOI trip to Seattle and didn't think about slipping in! (Reports started to appear on television at 5pm in Los Angeles. Everyone got a sound bite, except Ilia. :( But, he looked better than everyone else. Of course.)

After his interview, Ilia was led back to the first room apparently to change for the ice. Fortunately (or not, depending on your point of view--probably Ilia's), none of the event organizers seemed to realize the door had a huge window! Well let me just say that some lucky "spectators" got to witness the unveiling as it were, of a back which, by all reports, could win its own gold medal, before event officials clued in and stuck a body in the window. (Just a garden variety event official body...) Again, it must have been jet lag because I found myself on the wrong side of a table, so all I got to see was one well-defined right shoulder and arm. (And dear readers, I was so embarrassed I all but had to leave the area!) Ilia was left in the little room, while Scott, Tara and Katia joined Howie Mandell who was on hand and on skates--with a pillow belted to his butt, to tape a segment for his show. It was a funny bit, but I really couldn't concentrate because I was determined to make my Kulikarazzi debut and get a shot of Ilia as he emerged from the, ah, 'viewing' room. lol. At last it was Ilia's turn to take the ice and I got my shot. (I am not the most confident photographer, I usually buy from Emma and Eda, but I am pretty happy with these!)

Our Boy is a great teacher (of course)! He helped several kids improve their skating skills, teaching one lucky young girl how to do back crossovers. When youngsters on the sidelines got a little loud with the "I love you, Ilia's" (no, it was NOT me), he said "I love you, too, but I am trying to give a lesson..." It was Ilia at his best, charming, funny and just a little bit of the smart, er, aleck! He was also the concerned dashing hero when at one point, one of the young skaters went down on the ice. Ilia, after checking on the fallen child, then led a couple of other children away from the area and helped them refocus on skating. (It was unclear to me if the child had fallen because of skating or medical reasons, but she was taken from the ice.)

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LA Krew Barbara, Mariah, Vanessa and I, greeted Ilia as he exited the ice. "What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised but clearly delighted to see his Krew. But he was pulled away mid-sentence, back to the little room. Unfortunately (or not, depending on your point of view--probably Ilia's), the event organizers got wise and put two bodies in the window! Ah well...

After a quick and unobserved change, Ilia went to sign the new SOI book which was available for sale at the rink. A portion of the proceeds went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He was joined by Kristi.
The Krew headed to the end of the line! We kept letting people in front of us, in hopes of being the last ones. (We were mostly successful save for the rink manager and friends.) When we entered the room Barbara said,"Ilia your fan club is here!" His face lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. But, of course, he HAD to be saucy, asking me "Did you buy a book?" And of course I HAD to be saucy right back saying "Did you not just see me two days ago at SOI in Seattle? You know, I don't LIVE there!" LOL "I am here to take the pictures" I said. And as we were waiting for him to finish signing for the person ahead of us, I had my camera just sort of dangling in my hand. Then suddenly, he was posing and smiling for me. I was startled, my hands were shaking, but I got the shot!


The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America has granted more than 50,000 wishes since its creation in 1980. (To learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, please visit its website at www.wish.org)

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