People often think public relations is all about writing press releases and getting television interviews.

Sometimes it is.

A lot of times it's about refusing to accept "no."

For the past few months, one of the biggest projects I've been quietly working on wasn't a media pitch. It was securing an official City of Toronto proclamation recognizing JerkFest Day as part of the festival's 25th anniversary celebrations.

It sounds simple. It wasn't.

The process actually began back in February when I submitted the form to City's official proclamation request portal. We intentionally chose June 16, Jamaica Diaspora Day, because it perfectly aligned with the story we wanted to tell: celebrating not only 25 years of JerkFest Toronto, but also the incredible contribution of Jamaicans and Caribbean culture to our city.

Then we waited.

Months later, the answer finally came back.

No.

Well...sort of.

The City explained that they don’t proclaim days for cultural festivals because if they did it for one festival, they'd have to do it for every festival. Instead, they offered a letter acknowledging JerkFest's contribution to showcasing Jamaican culture.

For many organizations, that probably would have been enough.

It wasn't enough for JerkFest’s founder Anthony Plummer.

He simply said, "No."

And honestly, I agreed.

This wasn't just another festival. This was 25 years.

Twenty-five years of creating opportunities for Caribbean artists. Twenty-five years of supporting local businesses. Twenty-five years of introducing Toronto to Caribbean food, music and culture. Twenty-five years of building something that has become part of the city's summer tradition.

To me, that deserved something more.

The challenge was that we had already planned a major anniversary launch event at Toronto City Hall around the proclamation. The Mayor was expected to present it publicly.

There was no Plan B.

So I went to work.

Sometimes people ask me what they're paying for when they hire FKB Media Solutions. They're paying for relationships. They're paying for persistence. They're paying for knowing who to call when the first answer isn't the final answer.

I reached out directly to one of Mayor Olivia Chow's closest assistants while Deputy Mayor Amber Morley's office was also advocating on our behalf. At the same time, I continued working with the City's Proclamation Office, trying every possible avenue to explain why this milestone deserved special consideration.

It was a lot of back and forth. A lot of waiting. A lot of hoping.

Then came the call.

Mayor Olivia Chow, a longtime supporter of JerkFest, understood exactly what the festival has meant to Toronto over the past quarter century.

An exception was made.

After months of uncertainty, June 16, 2026 would officially be proclaimed JerkFest Day in the City of Toronto.

I can't even describe the feeling.

Sometimes the biggest victories in public relations never make the news. They're the conversations behind the scenes. The relationships you've built over years. The credibility you've earned. The willingness to keep pushing when everyone else would have accepted the first answer.

Watching Anthony receive that proclamation from the Mayor at City Hall made every phone call, every email and every obstacle worth it.

It also reminded me why I love what I do.

As a former television producer, I know how to tell stories. As a public relations strategist, I've learned that sometimes you have to help create them too.

Congratulations to Anthony Plummer and the entire Caribbean Promotions Arts & Culture team on an incredible milestone. Twenty-five years is no small achievement.

And to JerkFest...

You did it again.

The little festival that could is still proving everyone wrong.