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W.Va. Bridge Day Commission announces cancellation of Bridge Day 2020

Release from Bridge Day Commission:
NEW RIVER GORGE, W.Va. — The Bridge Day Commission has made the decision to cancel Bridge Day, which was scheduled for October 17, 2020, due to uncertainty around the safety of mass gatherings.

“We know that this is an enormous disappointment, but this is not a decision that has been taken lightly. This is one of the few times in 40 years that Bridge Day will not take place,” said Bridge Day Commission Chair Becky Sullivan. “However, we are in uncharted territory, and we are working through the ramifications of this unprecedented situation. The uncertainty we are facing makes the probability of factors outside of our control forcing us to cancel the event at the last minute much higher. We based this decision on the facts as we know them and, more importantly, based on our responsibility and care for our community.”

Bridge Day is West Virginia’s largest single-day festival and one of the largest extreme sports events in the world. Approximately 100,000 people attend Bridge Day each year. In previous years, more than 300 BASE jumpers from over 33 states participated in the event as well as 300-plus rappellers.

“We understand the gravity of the situation, and how much this event means to all involved,” Sullivan said. “We are committed to doing our part to protect our communities, staff, volunteers, attendees and fellow Mountaineers.”

“We continue to strive toward our purpose of celebrating the New River Gorge Bridge and surrounding areas. We intend to keep morale high and, together with community leaders, focus on collective efforts to
rebuild a fantastic event in 2021,” Sullivan said. “We appreciate the patience and understanding and look forward to welcoming everyone to future Bridge Day events.”

Additional updates will be made on officialbridgeday.com.

About Bridge Day/New River Gorge Bridge Day Commission:
Bridge Day is West Virginia’s largest single-day festival and one of the largest extreme sports events in the world. Held annually every third Saturday in October on the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayette County, W.Va., this is the only day each year thousands of spectators can walk across the bridge and watch as BASE jumpers get their chance to fly 876 feet into the Gorge below and rappellers ascend and descend from the catwalk.

The WV Legislature established the New River Gorge Bridge Day Commission to sanction, coordinate and promulgate rules and regulations for the annual event. The NRGBD Commission is composed of representatives from the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County Commission, WV State Police, Town of Fayetteville, WV Division of Highways. In recent years, the Bridge Day Commission has added advisory positions from the National Park Service, the BASE, Rappel and Vendor communities.

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