Break-in at Bend Christmas tree lot can’t dim holiday spirit
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Bend Christmas tree lot raising money for a local rehab charity started its morning with an unwelcome surprise. Employees at the Super Thrift Tree Lot say, Friday morning, they discovered that someone had forced their way into a storage shed on the property. Fortunately, the shed didn’t hold anything valuable; the money box, tools, and generator are all kept off-site after hours.
The theft hit especially hard because proceeds from the lot benefit the Adult and Teen Challenge Program, a faith-based organization that supports people working to overcome addiction and rebuild their lives.
Program coordinator Gregg Huisingh told KTVZ News, if someone needed something, they could've just asked. He added, “That’s what we’re here for, to try to help people as much as possible. And that’s what this is for, to provide what we need to help people. That’s exactly what we do.”
Despite the setback, staff members say they’re in good spirits. They’re still filing a police report, but their focus remains on the good that’s come from community generosity this season. Every tree set aside for charity this year has already been paid for and given away — a reminder, they say, that the true meaning of Christmas can’t be stolen.
