Family gets skate event tickets

The family of an Air Force sergeant deployed in the Middle East will be attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane after being featured in a story by The Spokesman-Review.

Nancy Clardy, 45, of Medical Lake, had hoped to take her family to the skating championships but could not afford to buy tickets when her husband’s deployment to Qatar left her short on cash.

After the newspaper story, Clardy received a call from Avista Corp., one of the sponsors of the championships, who offered her four tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies, the championship ladies’ short program and the championship dance finals.

Clardy has two children, Sarah, 14, and J.J., 8.

“I’m really overwhelmed – I wasn’t quite sure I was hearing right,” Clardy said of the company’s offer. “It’s the nicest thing anybody’s done for us in a long time.”

Clardy’s husband, John, is expected to return from Qatar on Monday. According to Clardy, while he may not be the world’s biggest figure skating fan, he is looking forward to attending the championships.

“He’s excited that it’s something we all get to do together,” Clardy said.

A spokesperson for Avista Corp. said the company would also be giving away 200 tickets to 10 area nonprofits, including Hope House, Goodwill and the Salvation Army.

The company was also looking into helping more military families attend the skating championships, which begin on Sunday, Jan. 21.