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The Stafford Jaycees Christmas tree lot on the corner of U.S. 1 and Butler Road was robbed of 35 Fraser firs and 27 wreaths.
Michael Shaner (left) and Angel Strong of the Stafford Jaycees help Jeff Coron choose a Douglas fir tree at the Jaycees Christmas tree lot on the corner of U.S. 1 and Butler Road. Thirty-five Fraser firs and 27 wreaths were stolen from the lot.
Angel Strong of the Stafford Jaycees waits for customers at the Christmas tree lot where trees and wreaths were stolen. Proceeds from sales at the lot go to help needy children in the area. |
The Stafford Jaycees received a shipment of Christmas trees Saturday, and volunteers spent hours that afternoon sorting them by size and type and placing many on wooden stands.
Their annual tree sale, which raises money to buy Christmas presents for needy children, was to begin Sunday.
It was dark by the time the volunteers finished up and left the tree lot, at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Butler Road in Stafford County.
And it was still dark--possibly the middle of the night--when someone sneaked in and helped himself or herself to 35 fresh-cut Fraser firs and 27 wreaths.
A volunteer who came to open the tree lot Sunday morning noticed that some of the wreaths were gone.
And when Angel Strong arrived soon afterward, she realized the bundled fir trees were missing as well.
Strong is chairwoman of the Jaycees tree sale. In the 10 years the tree lot has been at the Falmouth intersection, she said, nothing like this has ever happened.
Once or twice, the Jaycees have missed a single tree. But this clearly wasn't the case of a family swiping a tree for its own living room.
"They had to have a trailer," Strong said yesterday. "You couldn't fit those trees in the back of a pickup."
The Jaycees notified the Stafford Sheriff's Office, but there were no leads or arrests as of yesterday afternoon, a spokesman said.
The Jaycees order 225 trees and about 40 wreaths each year, spending $8,000. Profits vary depending on the variety and sizes of the trees they sell. Fraser firs are the most profitable, bringing in about double what the Jaycees spend, Strong said.
At 8 to 9 feet, they're among the biggest trees, and they're the most popular.
The cost to the Jaycees of the stolen trees and wreaths was $1,487, Strong said.
But the long-term costs will be greater.
The organization uses earnings from tree sales to buy Christmas presents for needy Stafford children, she said. The children's parents provide wish lists, and each child generally gets a winter coat or boots, an outfit of clothing and some toys.
The Jaycees wrap the gifts and deliver them in person.
This year, the Jaycees have committed to shop for 20 children, spending $125 to $150 per child. They'll be able to honor that promise, Strong said, because money was already in the budget for this Christmas.
But organizers may have to scale back next year unless they make up their losses with donations, Strong said. The tree lot, which usually sells out by mid-December, has liability insurance but is not insured against loss or theft.
"It is very discouraging," Strong said.
To reach LAURA MOYER:
Email: lmoyer@freelancestar.com
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Christmas tree caper Over the weekend, someone stole Christmas trees and wreaths from the Stafford Jaycees' lot at U.S. 1 and Butler Road. The thief or thieves got away with: 35 Fraser firs 27 wreaths Total cost: $1,487 Proceeds generally go toward the purchase of toys and winter clothing for needy children. How you can help Donations also may be sent to the Jaycees at Box 5055, Falmouth, Va. 22403. The lot at U.S. 1 and Butler Road continues to sell several varieties of Christmas trees and is open 5-8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call Stafford Crime Solvers at 659-2020. |
