Langley Good Times Cruise-In is one of the largest volunteer-run car shows in North America – emphasis on the word volunteer.
From the board that oversees every detail to those on the ground ensuring a smooth, organized, and cleanly event – everyone who makes Cruise-In possible is doing it for passion or the sake of lending a helping hand in the community.
Board member Wayne Patterson noted that 2021 is shaping up to be a great year because of the high volume of people signing up to help.
“We have lots of people because of COVID,” he said. “People really haven’t been out and about and they’re looking for a chance to help, so we are getting a really good response and seeing a lot of people come back from previous years.”
About 70 people have signed up as of the end of August – with the bulk of that number coming from local sports groups.
“We have six different sports groups coming to help and even some people from a local college coming to collect garbage,” Patterson explained.
Most volunteers help with traffic flow and aiding car owners find their parking spots, some working on registration, and others manning barricades around the closed streets in Aldergrove. A few will offer directional help amid lineups and paid parking.
“We’re actually still looking for one group of about eight to help run their 50/50 draw and sell tickets,” Patterson said.
Anyone interested in volunteering at Cruise-In, Patterson invited them to sign up by calling him at 604-250-5998 or emailing wayne.patterson@sunbeltrentals.com.
“I’d be happy to pass along information to the right people,” he assured, adding he’ll be this year’s emcee and is looking forward to the return of Langley’s biggest event.
Patterson noted sports groups and clubs who also sign up do get a percentage of money earned through Cruise-In entry fees and funds raised.
“It helps them out with buy new equipment,” he explained. “So we try to get groups that need that extra funding – it works out to about $500 or so for their time.”
No matter the reward or the fun had at the show, any support to put on the Langley Good Times Cruise-In is appreciated.
“We couldn’t do it without volunteers. Plain and simple. Not a member gets personally paid for their involvement with Cruise-In, so volunteers really are the life blood,” Patterson noted.
“We’ll have COVID-19 stations around the setup and places for people to wash their hands,” he assured.
He did add that the rule relaxations have made it easier for volunteers to get involved, as events that did manage to get the go ahead in the past year-and-a-half required families or people within the same bubble to volunteer together.
“It’s all looking very positive,” Patterson said.
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