D.W. Poppy Secondary had such a great idea with a car show held on its school grounds for the past 30-plus years, that a parent at Brookswood thought she’d try mirror the idea at her son’s school.
While the Poppy show literally attracts hundreds of custom and collector car owners every spring, Angie Colley Venne thought she could entice a hundred or so car show enthusiasts out for an end of the season show.
The results were “great” and plans are already afoot to do it again next year, Colley Venne said.
“The show went really well, far better than anticipated,” she told the Langley Advance. “We raised just under $9,000.”
• Click here to see gallery of event photos
There were 210 cars and trucks, from rat rods and classic vehicles to custom trucks and stunt cars rolled out onto the grass fields beside the school for the inaugural show in late September.
Owners laid out lawn chairs, the music director set up a concession, leadership students served up breakfast, senior band members performed, other students pitched in directing traffic, a few dozen parents and teachers offered assistance, and – much to Colley Venne’s surprise and delight – literally hundreds of car enthusiasts came to look.
With a $3 admission cost, the event proved to be a lucrative fundraiser, with the proceeds earmarked for the music and automotive programs at Brookswood, Colley Venne said.
“It was nerve racking… but in the end, everyone pulled together and it worked out great,” she said, reflecting back on the day.
“We are very excited to do this again,” Colley Venne said. “We will probably still go ahead with a September date. It’s kinda cool that Poppy has the season opener and we have the season ender. Perfect book ends.”
