Durham High School seniors and parents want refund from cancelled grad night event

Showmasters Entertainment was the company supplying games and activities for the seniors 'Safe and Sober Grad Night' event, but the contract says no refunds.

High seniors are out of luck after putting down money for their now-canceled sober grad night.

Action news now reporter christina vitale is live at cal skate in chico where they were going to have the celebration.

Christina, why won't this company give the kids their money back?

Showmasters entertainment says it's written in the contract - no refunds& but durham high parents and kids still want their money back.

Christopher seegertãhigh school senior: its hers its mine its everyone else's behind me we all got together to raise it durham high school seniors raised almost 25 hundred dollars to help pay for their 'safe and sober grad night' they used the money as a deposit with showmasters entertainment.

Brenda seegert- parent to a durham senior and organizer for the event: a nice night for these guys to have fun one last hoorah before they go off to college but the coronavirus popped that balloon.

Seegert: it does say no refund for the deposit but we did not break the contract but it was not in our control.

I talked showmasters entertainment owner john o'brien on the phone.

He told me both sides agreed to cancel the event in light of the pandemic.

Seegert: its unfair i guess in both situations but i feel the right thing is to give us our deposit back o'brien told me he's cancelled all his events and is out of business.

But did say he proposed postponing the event till the fall& alison smithã senior: it stinks that it got cancelled and i'm sure he's struggling with his business but its really all of our money that we worked hard and earned it for and i just hope he does the right thing seegert says they want to refunded money to give back to the seniors.

Seegret: we're hoping what we can do it somehow give them gift cards or raffle prizes of things like that to give them a little something of what they were gonna get that night.

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Seegert says she gave o'brien the deposit in december.

O'brien says he spent it preparing for the event.

Live in chico, christina vitale ann cycco o'brien tells action news now he sent them a letter saying he's not in position to refund the money and suggested they buy his inventory to use for rescheduled events.