The city that Neil Peart once called home has become the focus of a U.S.-based charity's efforts to organize a memorial event in honour of the late Rush musician and writer.

Jim Brunke, a Pennsylvania resident and member of a Rush-themed nonprofit called Overtime Angels, said fans of the iconic drummer "are going to want to go to St. Catharines" in the wake of his Jan. 7 death after a three-year battle with brain cancer.

He expects the event — The Neil Peart Fan Memorial Event and Benefit Concert — will be huge when it takes place in the Garden City, tentatively planned for May.

Brunke said Rush fans from all over the world "are going to want to be involved with this thing."

"And if I'm going to have thousands of Rush fans converge on an area that close to Lakeside Park, they're all going to go there to see the 'willows in the breeze,' and the merry-go-round," he added, quoting lyrics from a song Peart wrote about the park in 1975.

"They're going to want to go to Lakeside Park. Why? Because it's Lakeside Park. That is the place. That is where people want to be. That's the place where we would like to hold an event."

Brunke said members of his team, including event planner Deb Huston, have been reaching out to musicians "of all calibres." .

Considering how influential Rush's music has been to even some of the biggest names in the music industry, Brunke said he expects there will be numerous rock bands and individual musicians "who would love to perform."

The charity has teamed up with another passionate Rush fan on this side of the border — George Roche from Toronto-based entertainment agency The Booking House Inc. Although still early in the planning process, Roche, too, is confident the event would attract top-notch musicians from all over the world.

"There are just so many great drummers who loved Neil and respected his complexity and style as a drummer," said Roche, himself a drummer heavily influenced by Peart. "We're definitely going to be reaching out to those people to participate."

Brunke said members of Peart's family are in full support of the idea.

"They were so appreciative, and want to be part of it," Brunke said.

In addition to a live-music component, Brunke hopes to include opportunities for fans, friends and family members to participate.

"We're just so excited about having the opportunity to be involved in doing this for, basically, our musical hero."

Brunke credited the idea for the memorial event to a Rush fan from Argentina, who contacted Overtime Angels a week ago asking the group to organize it.

"This has all happened so very quickly and grabbed so much momentum," he said.

Roche plans to visit St. Catharines next week with Overtime Angels president Mike Rosenthal and vice-president Lance Kasten to tour Meridian Centre and other venues that could be part of the event.

As planning progresses in months to come, Roche said, more information will be published on the overtimeangels.org website and at facebook.com/NEP.Fan.Memorial.Event.

He advised people interested in contacting the organization to email james.brunke@gmail.com.

Allan.Benner@niagaradailies.com

905-225-1629 | @abenner1

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