From Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

Former figure skater and founder of the Champions On Ice Tour, Thomas (Tommy) James Collins passed away at his home in Edina, MN, surrounded by his family on September 1, 2019 of natural causes.

Tom was born in 1931 to Thomas and Martha Collins in the small Canadian mining town of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Collins worked in a bakery and left school in 8th grade to work with his father in the local gold mines. Like most Canadian boys at the time, he learned to ice skate, play hockey and later turned to figure skating where he found his passion. Tommy’s dreams reached beyond Kirkland Lake after he won the Northern Ontario Novice Men’s Championship. In 1949 at the age 18, Collins joined Holiday On Ice as a chorus skater. In his second year with the tour he became the headliner and ultimately vice president and general manager. He also appeared as a skater on Broadway with Sonja Henie and later toured with her in South America.

While skating with Holiday On Ice he met his wife Jane (Janie), a 1956 Miss America contestant competing as Miss Georgia and fellow worldwide ice skating performer.

Tom Collins moved to the business side of Holiday On Ice in 1969 where he worked with tour owner and brother-in-law Morris Chalfen of Minneapolis. This was the beginning of what would later be known as Champions on Ice. Taking a break from the administrative side of the ice shows, Collins branched out into the music industry with Bill Graham promoting the careers of rock ‘n roll singers of the day like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Alice Cooper, David Bowie and Earth Wind & Fire. Within a few years, promoting evolved into a merchandising business supplying programs, T-shirts and memorabilia for touring entertainers. His first client: Neil Diamond, was soon followed by John Denver, Bob Dylan, the Moody Blues, Wayne Newton, Rick James, Joni Mitchell and Earth Wind & Fire.

By 1975 under Collins’ ownership, Champions On Ice, featured Olympic amateur and professional skaters who entertained audiences with their medal-winning solos rather than the vaudeville acts on skates of previous ice shows. Each year’s tour program read like a Who’s Who of ice skating. Tom put the skaters first. He did not want them to worry about anything other than their performances so the tour became known in the skating world as “the best of the best.”

By the early 90’s, interest in figure skating began skyrocketing. By 2002, the tour included shows in 93 cities. Collins was not only known for his generosity to his skaters but also to the U.S. Figure Skating Association making him the largest single donor in figure skating history. He sold his show to AEG, the sports and entertainment giant, in 2006. He oversaw the tour until 2008 when he announced his retirement.

The tour had become his extended family but his own family was an integral part of the tour. Sons Mike, Mark and Marty, along with Tom’s brothers Butch and Harris were involved with tour operations.

Collins was the only person to be inducted into all 3 Figure Skating Halls of Fame – U.S., Canadian and World. The U.S. Figure Skating headquarters in Colorado Springs was renamed the Tom Collins Building in recognition of his support of the sport in 1999.

Tom shared his charisma with every person he met and treated everyone as if they were his close personal friend. Perhaps his greatest attribute was the love he had for his family. He would do anything for his family particularly his three sons. His love for life and playful spirit always came out when he was with his grandchildren. He played grape toss in the pool, hide and seek, took them to the movies and ice cream, attended each of their sporting events, school activities, and other performances. Holidays were particularly special, always over the top and filled with love. He never missed a chance to tell his family how much he loved them.

He is survived by three sons, all of Edina: Michael (Angie Bartness), Mark (Monica Elicerio), & Martin (Alissa); six grandchildren Lauren, Dylan, Brady, Reese, Austin & Georgia; three nephews Tom, Bruce & Gary and their families; and long-time devoted companion Teri Tucker. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Janie; sister Martha (Marty) Chalfen, brothers Harris and Gerald (Butch).

Services will be held on Saturday, September 14th at 10:30 am at Our Lady of Grace Church, 571 Eden Ave, Edina, MN. Visitation with the family is scheduled for the hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund, 20 First St, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

(Note: To share any of your memories about Tom, please feel free to email rv.baugus@iavm.org and we will compare and in turn share in the next newsletter.)

By Mark Mettes, CVE

The Herberger Theater Center in partnership with the Phoenix Police and Fire Departments hosted public safety training throughout the three-theater venue in late August. The Homeland Defense Bureau and Training Bureau provided crisis response training for the Herberger Theater and in the latter part of the day, Police and Fire first responders participated in drills and scenarios in the facility. Each of these opportunities provided both short-term and long-term benefits to everyone involved.

The crisis response training consisted of Run, Hide, Fight and Stop the Bleed, the latter of which included hands on demonstrations of how to apply a tunicate after an accident or injury. n addition to the entire Herberger Theater staff, we also invited each of our six Resident Companies to participate in the training, validating our mutual commitment to the safety of all persons who come the Herberger Theater.

While these specific training opportunities focused on our crisis response, the rest of the day consisted of drills and scenarios for first responders. Over 100 members of the Police and Fire Departments participated in live active shooter training exercises that helped test their own procedures and responses in a location very different from an office building or mall. Everyone benefited as they went through the pre-planned scenarios and in the process learned much more about our three-theater facility as well as our operations.

During these exercises, some of our staff voluntarily participated as “actors” to play the part of various people that the first responders may encounter. For our staff, this brought to life many of the concepts that were discussed in the Run, Hide, Fight training. Throughout this part of the day, some of our leadership team were able to shadow the lead from the Phoenix Police Tactical Training Detail as he was following the scenarios. This helped us to better assess our own procedures and responses.

The lessons learned throughout the day will provide lasting benefits for not only the staff of the Herberger Theater Center and the primary users of our theaters but also for the Phoenix Police and Fire Departments as they better understand the complexities in responding to a large scale incident in a performing arts facility. Everything from internal and interdepartmental communications to tactical movements in a theater were tested, discussed and improved upon.

For everyone involved, this was a rehearsal in a theater for a performance that we never, ever want to take place. Nonetheless, this proactive rehearsal allowed everyone to be better prepared at the Herberger Theater Center or wherever they may be called onto or into a scene.

Mark Mettes, CVE, is president and CEO of the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix, Arizona

The Cypress-Fairbanks (TX) Independent School District, overseers of the Berry Center multi-purpose facility under the direction of Beth Wade, CVE, recently sent a press release to honor and recognize our friend Beth for being recognized as one of Michael Marion’s Chairman’s Citation honorees at VenueConnect in Chicago, as well as her appearance as the cover profile in the September/October issue of Facility Manager magazine.

(So much for the spoiler alert. Look for your magazine next week.)

To read the district’s story about one of the very best in our industry, click here.

Brad Gessner, Sr. Vice President, Los Angeles Convention Center, and Sr. Vice President, AEG Facilities Convention Center shared that AEG Facilities is currently transitioning management at the Palm Springs Convention Center and Bureau of Tourism for the company to assume full management on September 25. To read about how the venue plans to focus on meetings, click here.

Boise State Athletics has reached an agreement with ExtraMile Convenience Stores, LLC, to change the name of Taco Bell Arena to ExtraMile Arena, Director of Athletics Curt Apsey announced.

During the 15-year, $8.4 million agreement for ExtraMile Arena, Boise State will receive more than $550,000 annually.

ExtraMile is a joint venture between Chevron, USA Inc. and Jacksons Food Stores Inc.

“We have been working on this for quite some time, and I know this is going to be a great partnership – as was the case previously with Taco Bell,” Apsey said. “We’re especially grateful that John Jackson and his family, longtime Boise State supporters, were involved in putting this partnership together with ExtraMile.”

“This is a tremendous development for all parties – Boise State, Bronco fans, ExtraMile, consumers, everyone,” said Paul Casadont, EMCS president. “Not only are we supporting a top learning institution with a rich and storied athletic program, we are reaffirming our commitment to consumers as we continue to expand the ExtraMile brand in Idaho, Utah and Nevada.”

Jacksons purchased a 50 percent interest in the ExtraMile joint venture partnership with Chevron in February of 2018. Jacksons’ Shell stores will continue to operate under the Jacksons’ brand banner.

“We believe this is an exciting way to engage the fan base in building the ExtraMile brand here in Idaho and a great partnership to support the university and its athletic programs,” said Cory Jackson, president of Jacksons Food Stores and a board member of the joint venture.

–broncosports.com–