An anonymous donor is offering $20,000 to keep the Langley Good Times Cruise-In in the City of Langley, however the Cruise-In Society says it is a donation they cannot accept.
Claudia Earl, owner of Three Smart Humans All About Computers in downtown Langley, was contacted by the owner of another Langley City business this week with the proposal.
The idea is that the $20,000 would cover the policing costs that the City of Langley is requiring the Cruise-In Society to pay. Those costs, along with a list of more than 20 other requirements from the City, prompted the Society to look at moving the show to Aldergrove in the Township of Langley instead.
Earl, who recently opened her business on Douglas Crescent in January, was looking forward to having a “front-row seat” to the show. She was “overwhelmed” and “quite touched” when she was asked to put forward the donation on the other business owner’s behalf.
“That’s how much we want them to stay,” she said.
She was hoping that this donation, and an online petition on change.org started by Everything But Diamonds owner David Stingl, would be enough to convince the Cruise-In Society to stay.
Although flattered by the offer, Cruise-In president Wayne Patterson said the Society cannot accept the money.
“The only issue we have right now is we feel like it’s going to be an ongoing thing every year, and we really don’t feel it should be put back on to the community as a whole that someone would have to come up with the money,” Patterson said, referring to last year when the Cruise-In was almost cancelled over the same debate of policing costs.
“It’s pretty tough to take one person’s money and then just hand it over to the RCMP.
“We want the community to be happy and not have to pay for it.”
The Cruise-In directors are meeting with the Township on April 18 to continue discussions about potentially moving to Aldergrove.