After the massive success of the very first show, a 75th anniversary celebration in Fort 91原创, Fraser Valley chapter president Steve Williams says a lot of people have been asking for another.
鈥淚t鈥檚 looking like it [will happen],鈥� Williams, a Glen Valley resident, told the 91原创 Advance Times on Saturday, Nov. 4.
鈥淚t was so well done, and so successful, that everybody鈥檚 after me to do it again, and I will do it.鈥�
Williams was commenting a few days after the club presented a check for just over $10,000 to Foundry 91原创 and $950 to Foundry Abbotsford, the combined result of proceeds from entry fees, a raffle, a 50-50 draw 鈥� and an unexpected auction of an art object, with an offer of delivery by 鈥淓lvis Elite鈥� tribute artist Steve Elliott, in his pink Cadillac.
Pretty good for what Williams said was only intended to be a 鈥渙ne-time shot,鈥� that led him to pick Fort 91原创 for the site.
鈥淚 thought in my own head, what better place to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the oldest car club in North America than in the birthplace of B.C?鈥�
Some hoops had to be jumped along the route to approval by the Township of 91原创, including a requirement for $5 million in insurance, a traffic plan, traffic flaggers and more.
鈥淚 mean, the restrictions were huge, but I met them all, and they allowed me to do it. They gave me the permits,鈥� Williams recalled.
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However, by the time Williams finally had approval for the Sept. 16 event, there wasn鈥檛 a lot of time left to organize the show.
鈥淲hen I finally got permission for the venue, it was June, July, and I鈥檓 doing a car show in September. Typically, when you鈥檙e looking to [find] sponsors and people to actually support what you鈥檙e doing, that鈥檚 all done in January.鈥�
It was a scramble, but sponsors, major and minor, stepped up to keep the show out of the red.
鈥淚 had no idea how successful this [was] going to be,鈥� Williams said.
Then, at a Steve Elliott show, Williams was invited to promote the event.
鈥淲hile I鈥檓 talking, all of a sudden this guy leaps up out of his chair. He stands, staring at me and pointing at me, and says 鈥榳e need to talk.鈥欌��
It was Bryant Lott from the Rotary Club, an art collector, who donated a peice of stonework.
鈥淣ow we don鈥檛 do auctions, we only do prizes, but I decided, you know what, this is a significant piece of artwork.鈥�
It raised $3,500, and part of the deal was, the roughly 200- pound work of art would be delivered to the winner of the auction.
Williams said Steve Elliott offered to transport it in his pink Cadillac, then offered, 鈥渋f I鈥檓 going to be there, I鈥檒l sing,鈥� which likely helped accelerate the bidding battle, won by Abbotsford鈥檚 Ed Froese.
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Considering it was the first car show organized by the oldest car club in North America, and it was held a week after the 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In, it couldn鈥檛 have gone much better.
鈥漇o as it turns out, more than 300 cars showed up,鈥� estimated Williams, who recalled being 鈥渁 little fearful鈥� about attendance in the wake of Cruise-In.
鈥淭hat is just the first time Pharoahs has done a charity fundraiser, [and] the first time that we have done a car show, period,鈥� William added.
It was also the first time a car show has been allowed to close down Glover Road, something Williams said the Township has never allowed before.
鈥淣ever ever,鈥� he noted.
