Someone has cut into the charity work of the the Quesnel Lions Club by stealing items for their next garage sale.
The local Lions Club has a regular garage sale, the next one coming up on April 27, but it will be short some key items thanks to a break-in earlier this week.
“Unfortunately, several quality items were stolen, which is incredibly disheartening for all of us,” said the club in a statement following the incident.
The Quesnel RCMP said there are few clues to work with, but an investigation is underway. It happened sometime overnight of April 12 to 13, discovered that morning. The location is 2391 Quesnel Hydraulic Rd, next to Dragon Gate Restaurant.
“They and the attached business were also broken into, so they came in through one and got access to the other as well,” said RCMP Sgt. Clay Kronebusch. “Police are looking for any information.”
There are no homes in the immediate vicinity, and the neighbouring businesses are spread far apart, so investigators are hoping anyone who drove that semi-rural road that night might remember a detail they saw or dash-cam video that might have picked something up.
“I am personally really hurt that this has happened,” said Brent Oxenbury of the Lions Club. “We all work really hard to support our community. The money we earn, other than overhead, goes towards many different causes.”
He listed seven $1,000 student bursaries provided every year, they sponsored two lanes for this Friday’s Bowl For Kids Sake with three teams participating, they collect used eyeglasses and hearing aids for refurbishment and distribution to those in need, they supported the Seedy Saturday event that just took place earlier in the month with a $500 donation, they donated $500 to the local Nourish Food Bank also recently.
“I could go on a lot further,” said Oxenbury of the club’s extensive philanthropic help here and around the world as part of Lions Clubs International.
“They are a charity. (The thieves) don’t care who they victimize. It’s frustrating,” said Kronebusch.
One of the most aggravating items stolen, he said, directly impacts that flow of charity.
“They took a number of our blank cheques so we have to close our bank accounts and order new cheques that will cost hundreds to replace,” said Oxenbury.
Since the break-in, a number of community-minded people have reached out to arrange donations of items so the next Quesnel Lions Club garage sale can be greatly enhanced, to offset these losses.
“Your generosity can really make a difference as we work to overcome this setback. Together, we can rebuild stronger,” said Oxenbury.
Some people have also offered the use of cameras the club can install to watch over the premises in future. Kronebusch encouraged that as a lesson for all homeowners and business operators.
“I wish a lot more people would, as cheap as cameras are these days,” he said. “You can get pretty good cameras for (relatively low cost compared to the past), and that really helps in our investigations. The more video we have, the better chance we have to catch them. Even if we can’t identify them, it gives us some things to go on, sometimes.”
The next garage sale on April 27 will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are welcome to come by and browse, and any purchases made flows into Quesnel Lions Club philanthropy.