KISS founder Gene Simmons was honored with the Key to the City for both Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda, New York, and a portion of Main Street in Niagara Falls was also named in his honor.
The ceremony took place on Sunday (August 18th) at City Hall in Niagara Falls, with Mayor Robert Restaino and Mayor Austin Tylec bestowing Simmons with the Key to the City of both Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda, respectively.
Additionally, Mayor Restaino announced that a downtown street in Niagara Falls — a portion of Main Street between Pine and Cedar — will temporarily be renamed “Gene Simmons Boulevard,” acknowledging Simmons’ investment in the local business community, specifically through his partnership with Niagara Falls-based Rock Steady Sodas.
“The business community in Upstate New York is alive and thriving, and I am honored to be a part of it,” Simmons said during the ceremony. “This is the ideal picture of a homegrown family business exemplifying strong values and commitment to quality. The people and their work ethic make Niagara Falls a wonderful place to do business.”
The occasion also coincided with the one-millionth bottle of Simmons’ MoneyBag premium soda line — a partnership with Rock Steady Sodas. The collab came about after the latter’s owners, a third-generation Niagara Falls family, struck up a conversation with Simmons at Cleveland’s Wizard World convention where Gene was a guest speaker. After talking shop regarding soda as a non-alcoholic adult beverage alternative, cards were exchanged and an eventual business partnership was formed.
“The setting couldn’t be more perfect to celebrate this tremendous partnership and to welcome Gene Simmons to the wonderful City of Niagara Falls,” remarked Restaino during the ceremony. “You know, these types of partnerships, these things that come together when you have people like Gene Simmons wanting to lean in with a product that they believe can really make a difference in the market — then you have magic happening. And so, we’re proud to be able to host this event for today. We certainly welcome Mr. Simmons and the band to our community.”
Below you can check out footage from the Key to the City ceremony. For more on Simmons’ MoneyBag Soda, visit the official website.