Someone broke into a nonprofit’s fireworks tent in Gresham over the weekend, stealing a table of merchandise worth thousands of dollars. According to the organizers, the funds would have been invested in the community.
The Portland non-profit Shooting Star Adventures has operated fireworks stand in the Gresham Town Fair parking lot for the past three years. It is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising scholarship funds for families who cannot afford to attend their outdoor summer programs.
Erin McPherson, president of the nonprofit said –
“It is 100% about the kids.”
“This is an all-volunteer-run organization and we just want to give back to the kids in our community.”
Over the weekend, someone stole approximately $3,000 worth of fireworks from their stand. McPherson stated that it is equal to ten camp scholarships.
Do you know that the man killed in the Buckman area early Sunday morning (2 July) was a server at the Portland restaurant Ox who died defending a buddy, according to those close to the victim:
McPherson showed that the group had this year put metal security fencing around the tent, but the robbers threw caution to the wind in smashing through.
She said –
“We just wanted to make sure everything was safe and sound overnight.”
“In the backside here you can tell where someone has cut through the plastic decoration fencing, and they came went over to the poles and actually burnt the zip ties with something. Which is not safe to do at a firework stand.”
McPherson discovered an empty container where the stolen fireworks had been stowed outside the tent on Sunday morning (2 July). She contacted a few adjacent businesses, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, to determine if their outdoor surveillance cameras had captured the perpetrators.
Shooting Star Adventures also announced the news on their Facebook page –
They reported that none of the cameras were aimed toward the tent. McPherson filed a police report, but police stated they could do little without a suspect description. Now McPherson is left pondering how she will obtain the funds that were intended to assist needy families.
She said –
“To have someone take not from us but from the kids is really disheartening.”
“Actions have far-reaching consequences that really affect a lot of people in this situation.”
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