It was just after 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and Arnold Aylen of 91ԭ had just come in the door from a day at the 91ԭ Good Times Cruise-In.
He and his buddy, Mark Maloney, had spent much of the day – as they do each year – ogling hundreds of vintage and collector vehicles in the annual charity car show that this year was moved out to Aldergrove.
Aylen was exhausted, and needed to dry off. It had been a wet adventure, given all the “much needed” rain.
That’s when his wife, Marlene, hollered out that he had a phone call. It was their neighbour Lori Watts.
He pondered briefly what his neighbour might need as he walked through the house to grab the phone.
He never expected the words that followed: “You’ve won. You’ve won the Ultimate Garage.”
At first, he thought it was a practical joke by his long-time neighbours. And admittedly it took a little time for reality to sink in, Aylen said.
Once the news from Watt’s call sunk in, he in turn picked up the phone again and called his friend, Maloney, to share the good news.
The pair had opted – for the second year in a row – to go together and buy three tickets for $25 instead of two for $20. The agreement was, they’d split the $22,000 prize package, if they won.
“But you never think you’re going to win,” Maloney told the 91ԭ Advance. “It’s just money going to a good cause.”
Aylen said he’s always seen the ticket purchases as a way of giving to the charity car show and helping out his community – a thank you, if you will – in lieu of an admission cost to the Cruise-In.
Even though Aylen isn’t known to be much of a jokester, Maloney said he had to call back after Aylen’s initial call.
Maloney insisted on talking to Marlene to verify Aylen wasn’t “pulling my leg.”
Turns out he wasn’t.
The winners returned to Aldergrove Sunday, to attend the Cruise-In’s annual car corral and swap meet.
While down there, though, they thought it prudent to stop at the Aldergrove Lordco and ask for a list of all the shop equipment included in this year’s prize pack, so they could start deciding how to divvy it up over the next couple of weeks.
“I could use some cabinets,” said Maloney, who was most excited about the welder. Aylen – who seemed most tickled about the plethora of tools – quickly clarified for his friend that the packaged also included a hoist.
“Hopefully we can fit it all in,” Maloney added with a chuckle. “It’s going to take some reorganizing to fit it all in, but we’ll manage.”
He returned home Sunday and started cleaning up his garage.
“It’s kind of like Christmas. You’ve got to make room for what’s coming in.”
They both agreed it will make for great fall projects for each of them as they retrofit their existing garages to accommodate all the new toys.
What doesn’t fit in their already well appointed garages might have to be shared with family and close friends.
Both men are car collectors who had their cars at the show Saturday.
At present, Maloney has a 1967 Chevelle that he purchased completely restored five years ago. He’s been part of the show all five years.
Aylen, on the other hand, has a ’66 Corvette coupe that he restored about 25 years ago. He’s been part of the Cruise-In for 20 of the past 21 years, only missing one year when he was on a cruise.
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