Mayor Berry Vrbanovic will says he, himself, is concerned about the upcoming performance of Bill Cosby at Centre In The Square.

Vrbanovic says he will attend Voices Carry on January 7th to support Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region, and the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region.

He spoke with 570 News. Listen below to the full interview.

Read the full statement from Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic below:

“In recent weeks, I have learned about the strong concerns that many people across our community and beyond have about the upcoming performance of Bill Cosby presented by Innovation Arts & Entertainment (IAE) at the Centre In The Square.

Both as Mayor and as a citizen, I share many of those concerns as they relate to the allegations against Mr. Cosby and more importantly, the impact those alleged encounters have had on the women involved.

I also understand that a number of people have called for the City of Kitchener to influence the cancellation of this event by the Centre In The Square or the promoter, IAE. The Centre In The Square is a separate entity from the City of Kitchener and as such, the city is not involved in their operations. After looking into it, I have come to understand that contractual obligations require this show to proceed unless Mr. Cosby himself was prepared to cancel the show. As of this time, I understand that Mr. Cosby still plans to perform at his scheduled performance in Kitchener, London and Hamilton and as such cancellation is not an option for either the Centre In The Square or the promoter.

This unfortunate set of circumstances has however resulted in increased dialogue in our community about two important issues, domestic violence and sexual assault. Positively, it has also resulted in a group of community members organizing Voices Carry, an alternative event which will raise much needed dollars for victims of sexual assault, and two outstanding community organizations, Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region, and the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region. I thank these individuals for organizing this fundraiser.

On January 7th, I will attend and personally support the Voices Carry fundraiser. To those members of our community who want to help this worthwhile cause, this is a positive option which you also may wish to consider.

While I personally have chosen to attend this alternative event this evening, I also respect the decision of others who may or may not decide to attend Mr. Cosby’s performance. As a community however, I would ask that we respect their right, and if we want to send a message, do it in a positive way.“