The Great York Region Restaurant Race could be a Multicultural Event

Anyone remember The Great York Region Restaurant Race? It raised $100,000 in its life span in Newmarket and was a live event that pitted mostly Newmarket restaurants against one another in friendly competition of taking orders and delivering drinks through obstacles set up outdoors. At one point it was held at the Upper Canada Mall parking lot and they dumped tons of sand there for effect.

I arrived representing Muskoka Moes ( now Mama Mia's location) dressed as Elvis, in a Limo as I was the General Manager, and sang a tune introduced by then local karoke Host Bubba Blight. He would go on to become a Councillor.

I first got involved though, several years previous while Entertainment Editor for Coverstory, covering the restaurants and clubs entertainment in print and had sat on the organizing committee for the Great York Region Restaurant Race from its beginning, run as part of the Persechini Run-walkathon. I also started Sing a Tune for a Tuney as an added fund raise option for restaurants to participate in pre-event fundraising.I had previously participated in a similar one run in Toronto, it's a great way to raise funds and it makes for a fun event for everyone.... and I'd like to resurrect a form of it.

Multicultural festival needs a boost and I'm also pushing for more grassroots committee members in all YR.

Multicultural Festival and More

With all the restaurants on and around Main St., I think its very reasonable that such an event could be held again, and my thoughts are what better way to bring it together than using the Multicultural Festival as its launch pad?

I attended this years Multicultural event at Riverwalk and it could use an infusion of liveliness which I believe such an addition could muster. Even if the restaurant race portion was held also on nearby Main st for the duration of ' competition", maybe even have the start or finish area at Riverwalk, then patios on main could fill up with spectators and patrons cheering on their fave team as they went through the obstacles carrying their drinks, possibly even using them to place orders as part of the obstacles! And music piped out to keep the atmosphere festive. It's a hoot, and would seem a natural way to invite not only Main St's great representatives of diverse restaurants, but restaurants of every nationality and flavour from across town as other restaurants could set up food booths at Riverwalk, alongside the other Multicultural booths, and maybe also hand out passes or discount coupons and info about their restaurants or suppliers. Beer reps too.

We'd fill this area with patrons cheering on the restaurant race teams as they go by.

Think about it. What other reason to people seek out other nationalities or cultures but through getting Chinese or Indian or Mediterranean other ethnic cuisines from their favorite restaurant. So let's bring them all on board and raise some money while attracting hundreds to Main st. and Riverwalk Commons. Staff attendees alone will boost local businesses! And I know the beer guys would go for it as far as sponsorships and supplying..well...beer!.

Click here for highlights of the Multicultural as well as the south Asian/Caribbean Festival by TPE.

The Friendly Nneighbourhood Youth Roadhockey Challenge will bring business to Main St off season

I have produced 20 public events at Riverwalk Commons and Fairy Lake Park over the past 10 years and dozens more inside locations and have produced live and trade-type shows, even at Canada's largest convention centre, so I don't have a learning curve to go through in regards to not only permits, but how to produce and market a successful event.

It is also not my first kick at the Multicultural can - all one need do is look at Character Matters and now in TV commercials portraying road hockey as a great way for cultures to meet. Our Friendly Neighbourhood Road Hockey Challenge was the first- before the hospital tourney and before Tim Horton's or Scotia bank ever got involved. It is they who have tried to copy our model and i take that as a compliment just as i did when we made page 3 of the Toronto Sun because we'd put road hockey on our Main st. while they were banning it. The first time I saw a mom with a burka come out to watch, and her little girl trying to play with a tree branch before we gave her a real 'hockey stick", I knew I was onto something more than just kids and youths playing games. It was started to create a bridge into the broader community and that is exactly what it does. I'm a bridge builder. That's what I do. Because I really do care.

Using a crosswalk we make and a Wrap on a wall people, would love to get a famous shot of themselves crossing

No music band crosses more cultures than The Beatles who are loved across the world and now symbols of peace. What better theme to draw visitors too including Markham where they attend in droves whenever their Bealtlemanians play in town. I also have plans to bring BEATLE MAIN ia to OUR town, turning Main st into a 60's era mecca with booths maybe Timothy St w into Penny Lane and top notch clone Beatles entertainment.

Vote Tom Pearson for Ward 5 Councillor because i have the know how and experience to do the job better than anyone else and because I Really Do Care.

Read more of my ideas for the Town of Newmarket and my background here.