The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk, which was set to take place in September, has been canceled due to the pandemic, officials with the Mackinac Bridge Authority said Wednesday.
"We recognize that September is months away but the event requires months of planning and early expenditures," said board Chairman Patrick "Shorty" Gleason. "Like organizers who have postponed festivals and other summer events, we needed to make a decision now."
The walk began in 1958, and draws between 25,000 and 57,000 people from all over the country and even from overseas. Although it's suspended for this year, officials expect the walk to resume in 2021.
"We can't in good conscience continue with an event we know draws people from across our state and beyond, and puts them shoulder-to-shoulder for hours, when medical advice strenuously advises against such gatherings," Gleason said.
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