$15,000 worth of camping gear stolen from FL Cub Scouts
By Ari Hait
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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Cub Scout pack 141 in West Palm Beach spent more than 10 years working hard and raising funds to buy equipment for their camping trips.
In one night, it was all stolen.
West Palm Beach police are now searching for those responsible for stealing a trailer with all of the gear inside.
It happened on Thanksgiving Day.
“3:45 in the morning, couple of guys came by and broke all the locks off and took the trailer and everything inside,” said Dave Herlong, the pack’s cub master.
The trailer had been parked along Hansen Street.
Security video from a nearby business shows a truck driving away with the trailer attached.
Herlong said the trailer was full of things like tents, grills, and even a portable defibrillator.
Including the trailer, it was all worth about $15,000, according to Herlong.
“The thing that really hurt the most was the ballcaps, the T-shirts, the patches, the things the kids could really relate to,” Herlong said. “That was really the hardest part.”
Herlong said he was first notified about the theft on the day after Thanksgiving.
“I was very frustrated. I almost couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It was the Grinch who stole Christmas.”
The cub scout pack had a camping trip already planned before their gear was stolen.
They went anyway and just did what they could without all of their gear.
Herlong said the theft is teaching the children about resiliency and the importance of making good choices.
He said he’s hoping whoever stole the trailer will realize the gear belonged to children and return it.
“I know people have their different reasons, but this certainly seems like a pretty callous, very shallow-hearted action,” he said.
The scouts have set up a fundraiser so they can replace what was stolen.
If you have information about the theft, please call the West Palm Beach police.
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