The city of Pelham and the Birmingham Figure Skating Club hosted a very prestigious and important event this past weekend.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Pelham Civic Complex played host to the 2007 Midwestern Sectional Championships of U.S. Figure Skating.

Those who placed in the top four at the senior, junior or novice levels would go on to the nationals to qualify for the Olympics and World Championships in figure skating.

Jennifer Kenski, president of the Birmingham Figure Skating Club and a resident of Alabaster, said the event was expected to draw some 500-600 people to the area from 22 states including Michigan, Colorado, California, Kansas, Ohio and Minnesota.

&8220;It&8217;s an honor for us,&8221; she said, &8220;because you have to be chosen by United States Figure Skating to host this event. It rotates around the country. Next year it will be held in Michigan. So, it&8217;s really a big deal for our club and the South. For it to be held in the South is kind of rare for that to happen.&8221;

Kenski added, &8220;It&8217;s very exciting for us to be able to host these people and show them what a great area we have here in Shelby County and Pelham.&8221;

She said proceeds from the event would go to the non-profit Birmingham Figure Skating Club to further promote skating in the area. But, she said the event is also expensive to put on, and the proceeds would also help offset the cost.

On another level, she said the event draws the competitors, their families and spectators to local hotels, restaurants and stores.

She said many who attended the event normally wouldn&8217;t choose Shelby County as a destination and holding the event here helps &8220;shatter those stereotypes&8221; of Alabama.

The Birmingham Figure Skating co-hosted the event with the city of Pelham, and Pelham Mayor Bobby Hayes greeted judges and officials at an officials&8217; dinner.

Hayes wrote in a letter of welcome printed in the official program of the event, &8220;We are pleased to be the host site of the 2007 Midwestern Sectional Championship. Bringing this competition to Pelham is a cooperative effort between the Birmingham Figure Skating Club, the Pelham Skate School and the city of Pelham. We are proud of this facility and delighted to have the opportunity to extend our Southern hospitality to each of you.&8221;

Kenski said she helped with the event any way they needed her, from registering skaters to helping tally scores.

She said of those who participated, &8220;These skaters are serious skaters who are hoping to make a career out of this and one day possibly go the Olympics or the World Championships.&8221;

Ashley Deavers, of Irondale, who competed with Amanda Loyd in junior dance, represented the Birmingham Figure Skating Club of Pelham.

He was one of those with a chance to qualify for the nationals. He trains in Virginia, and his partner represents Colorado.

A novice dance couple was also expected to compete, including Alex Darnell of Pelham and Marissa Spector of Vestavia Hills. However, Spector fell in a practice session about a month ago and broke her jaw.

Local figure skating youngsters also served as sweepers to pick up stuffed animals and flowers thrown in appreciation of the skaters and to help present medals.

Sweepers include Julia Bray of Shelby County; Mia Palmer, Libby Chambliss, Allison Hanby, Avery Henson, Emily Spradling and Sara Spradling, all of Hoover; Madison Brown and Morgan Brown, both of Calera; Ivey Smith of Chelsea; Marilyn Evans and Tamara Kelly, both of Helena; Bonnie DeCarlo, Leslie Schwartz, Emily Hardwick of Vestavia Hills; and Riordan Wyatt of Homewood.

Kenski said local skaters would next participate in a Christmas Show at the Pelham Civic Complex Dec. 8-9.