Promoter floats ‘Success Walk’

12-hour event, said to be in the planning stages, aimed at youth

KITCHENER — Mark Higgins brought Aerosmith to town to play McLennan Park in 2014.

Now, the Toronto promoter behind Big Music Fest, likely dormant for a second year, apparently aims to hold a five-kilometre “youth-empowerment” walk for 10,000 youth and “stars” — music and sports celebrities, politicians, first responders and others — through downtown Kitchener on the last Saturday in September.

It will be called “Youth and Stars Success Walk,” according to a website that appeared online late last week, listing Higgins as owner and creator.

The 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. event, if it happens, would end with a concert in Victoria Park.

The website seeks a title sponsor for the event aimed at 15 to 19 year olds. But they may want to pause before registering or making plans to join unnamed celebrities and motivational speakers in downtown Kitchener on Sept. 30.

The event, according to the city, is hardly a done deal.

“It’s in the planning stages, I guess, is the most accurate way to put it,” said city events manager Jeff Young on Monday afternoon. “It’s a concept that has been provided to us. We’ve put the space on hold.”

But organizers, led by Higgins, have not had an official planning meeting with the city, according to Young.

“Until we have those kind of meetings, it’s just a concept, I guess, right now.”

And those meetings, which help determine road closures and which permits are required, will likely happen in the next month, Young guessed.

“The original concept was to do a walk in the downtown, then end up in Victoria Park,” Young said.

“But again, I don’t know if that’s finalized, where they’re at. So, depending on the scope of the event, whatever the plans are, then that’s what we’d figure out, you know, permits, licences, all that kind of stuff.”

Higgins did not immediately return phone and email messages from The Record on Monday. When reached by phone on Monday, event co-founder Patti Jannetta, referred The Record to Higgins.

A quote endorsing “Success Walk”, attributed to Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and accompanied by his photo, also appeared on www.youthandstars.com.

Vrbanovic did not immediately respond to requests from The Record for comment.

“Not only will the Youth and Stars Success Walk encourage tourism, it will also promote our philosophy and commitment to the health, education, and wellbeing of our youth,” read part of the quote attributed to Vrbanovic on the website.

Young was uncertain if “Success Walk” will materialize in Kitchener in the fall.

“We get quite a few events, or potential events and they never come to fruition,” Young said.