As the members of the band Billy and the Bruisers got dressed in their best to play a gala fundraiser for Kids Eat Smart at the Delta Hotel in St. John's Saturday night, they never imaged they'd wind up changing tires — lots and lots of tires — in their tuxes.

But just after 1 a.m., a Delta employee came into the room and said it looked like someone slashed the tires of multiple cars in the parking lot next to the hotel.

"There was about 20 people in that lot last night going around helping each other," said Billy Sharpe, the band's drummer.

"You come out and you gotta face all that crap and it's -8 C. It's sort of disappointing and disheartening from one point of view. But then, from the other point of view, all the boys are out there with their tuxedos on and their gloves on, gettin' wrenches and jacks, saying, 'Here let me help you, let me do this, let me do that.'

It's a bad thing, he said — "but it's a good thing, too."

There were seven cars with flats left in the parking lot Sunday morning. A tow truck driver said trucks had been removing cars throughout the night. (Meg Roberts/CBC)

Six cars belonging to his band members had flats and he estimates about 20 other cars, mostly belonging to staff, were affected too.

Billy and the Bruisers banded together to help those with just one tire cut, taking off the bum tires and putting on spares, he said.

"Those with two tires, they were all fooled up, they couldn't go anywhere," he said.

This car was one of many that found themselves a little lower to the ground Sunday morning. (Meg Roberts/CBC)

Members of the Bruisers that lived nearby went home and grabbed second cars if they had them, and then gave those who were stuck a ride home.

"We work together, see," he said.

His own tire was cut in three places, he said, and he estimates it'll cost about $200 to replace it. Unfortunately, not even the money he was paid for the gig will cover that.

"Nowhere near it," he said.

'This is very big'

Late Sunday morning, there were still seven cars in the lot with floppy, deflated tires.

Matthew Lang, who works with Tulk Towing, was in the lot Sunday morning picking up some of the remaining immobilized vehicles.

On Sunday morning in the lot, one owner tried to replace his tire himself. (Meg Roberts/CBC)

It's the first time he's ever seen anything like this, he said.

"Not like this, to this extent," he said. "This is very big."

A spokesperson for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said that as of Sunday afternoon, just one person had filed a report about their tires being slashed. Police would not be investigating the single complaint, but if they get more, they may look into it, the spokesperson said.

Matthew Lang, who works with Tulks Towing, said tow trucks had been in and out of the parking lot throughout the night. (Meg Roberts/CBC)

Fundraiser for Kids Eat Smart going on inside

Celina Stoyles, the executive director of the Kids Eat Smart Foundation, told CBC News in an email that the Delta Hotel management team told her about the incident on Saturday night.

"Our team truly feels for anyone who may have been affected by this," she said.

A spokesperson from Delta Hotels told CBC News that it did not own or operate the lot, but expressed sympathies for those who parked there and found flats.

"It is disheartening that many of those affected were giving back to the community by raising funds for kids in our school system, so that they may have access to breakfast and lunch programs," the spokesperson said.

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