(WXYZ) — 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.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Find out how you can help metro Detroit restaurants struggling during the pandemic.
See all of our Helping Each Other stories.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.