PORT ANGELES — Donations poured in Monday at the Port Angeles Salvation Army following a Sunday theft, and the goods and cash will more than replace the missing gifts.
More than $3,000 in cash was delivered to the Salvation Army offices at 206 S. Peabody St., and toys, games and bicycles were donated to replace the items that were stolen, said Maj. Scott Ramsey, co-director of the Port Angeles branch.
“People are coming in. The bell ringers are doing well, and there are still the Angel Trees,” Ramsey said. “We’re doing tremendously.”
About 500 families in need are scheduled to pick up toys, clothes and food baskets at the Salvation Army’s Toy and Joy Center on Friday and Saturday, but burglars took many of the toys and clothes meant for older children and teenagers.
The total received by the Salvation Army on Monday doesn’t include what has been raised by community fundraisers and last-minute toy drives at several local businesses.
KONP radio said it collected $5,000 in donations and two bicycles Monday and will continue collecting today at its 721 E. First St. studio.
Station manager Todd Ortloff said Monday that the station will take credit card donations if necessary.
Donors are requested to take toys directly to the Salvation Army offices because the radio station does not have the space to store toys.
Children’s gifts and cash donations can be made at the Salvation Army offices, online at www.secure20.salvationarmy.org or arranged by phoning 360-452-7679.
Drop boxes for gifts are located at Front Street Alibi at 1605 E. Front St., Lazy Moon Tavern at 130 S. Lincoln St. and Castaways Restaurant at 1213 Marine Drive, all in Port Angeles.
The Port Angeles Holiday Flea Market will donate 25 percent of Wednesday’s proceeds to the Salvation Army holiday gift fund, said John Nelson, organizer of the holiday shop.
Located at 104 W. First St., the market includes 15 vendors selling handcrafted furniture, glassware, jewelry, household gift items, CDs, collectibles and vintage items.
Ramsey said there are 40 “Christmas Angel Trees” located at businesses throughout Port Angeles and Sequim, where donors can select a specific child and purchase gifts requested by that child or by parents.
The trees are located at Walmart locations in Port Angeles and Sequim, at Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles, at Port Angeles and Sequim high schools, and 35 other locations.
Port Angeles Moose Lodge No. 966 donated five bicycles Monday to replace the four that were stolen.
“I read about it in the paper this morning. I said, ‘We can do this,’” said Doug Richmond, administrator of the lodge.
Richmond dropped off the bikes — and a $100 donation from an individual member — at about 2 p.m.
“I was told to tell you, ‘This is from the Moose,’ ” he said to Ramsey during the donation.
Ramsey said representatives of Elwha River Casino dropped off an additional eight bicycles, and community members also dropped off bikes — up to four at a time.
“We now have 22 bicycles,” he said.
A group from Puyallup was also expected to arrive with “a truckload” of gifts, but Ramsey said he didn’t have any information on who they were or what exactly they were bringing.
“They called and left a message that they were coming, but they didn’t say who they were,” he said.
[Sunday’s www.peninsuladailynews.com report of the theft was the basis of a report picked up and distributed by The Associated Press throughout the Northwest. It also inspired reports by Seattle TV stations.]
Ramsey said Northwest Security Services will provide a guard “at a deep discount” to protect the building against any more burglaries before the gifts can be distributed.
The gifts were taken from the former Hartnagel Building Supply building at the corner of Race and Front streets after burglars entered using an unlocked window, according to Port Angeles police.
Several officers have been assigned to investigate the burglary, and the investigation is active, said Deputy Chief Brian Smith.
No suspects have been identified, Smith said.
A few smaller, inexpensive items have been recovered, but the recovery didn’t include a suspect or person of interest, he said.
He said he could not determine if the burglars were adults or teenagers.
“We have no information to rule anyone out,” he said.
At least $1,500 in gifts were taken, but since donated items were still arriving and being inventoried, knowing just how much was stolen might prove impossible.
The burglars took some of the most expensive items, those for older children and teens whose parents filled out wish lists for the organization’s Christmas Angel Tree toy drive.
The stolen items include four bicycles, Legos, video games, backpacks, clocks, watches, clothing, movies, air hockey games, hairdryers, flat irons and make-up, according to a list of items confirmed missing.
Electronics for young children, such as VTech tablets and LeapFrog educational games, also were taken.
Salvation Army Maj. Cherilee Ramsey said donors have replaced the VTech tablets and some other electronic toys.
Earlier report:
PORT ANGELES — Early morning burglars stole gifts and clothing meant for needy children from the Port Angeles Salvation Army’s temporary holiday warehouse Sunday.
At least $1,500 worth of gifts and clothing were taken, but since donated items were still arriving and being inventoried, it may never be known just how much was stolen, said Maj. Scott Ramsey, co-director for the Port Angeles Salvation Army.
The items were taken from the former Hartnagel Building Supplies building at the corner of Race and Front streets, this year’s location for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Toy & Joy Center — a gift distribution center for low-income families.
“It’s tough to hear about that,” Port Angeles Officer Andrew Neisinger said. “I am always hoping the appropriate people are receiving these [donations].”
The burglars took some of the most expensive items, those for older children and teens whose parents filled out wish lists for the organization’s Christmas Angel Tree toy drive, Ramsey said.
The stolen items include four bicycles, Legos, video games, backpacks, clocks, watches, movies, air hockey games, hair dryers, flat irons and make-up, according to a list of items confirmed missing.
Electronic systems for children, such as VTech electronic tablets and LeapFrog educational games, were also taken.
There are plenty of toys, clothes and games for younger children from Angel Tree donors, but the limited selection of items for older children and teens was hit hard by the burglary, he said.
Ramsey said items for older children are hard to get and precious to the Salvation Army, because donors who are on a budget prefer to purchase the less expensive toys for younger children.
About 500 families are scheduled to pick up gifts for their children and food boxes with two days worth of meals at the Christmas Toy & Joy Center on Friday and Saturday.
With gift distribution less than a week away, the Salvation Army is looking for help in replacing those items.
Children’s gifts and cash donations can be taken to the Salvation Army offices at 206 S. Peabody St., or phone 360-452-7679.
KONP radio plans to collect donations today and Tuesday at its 721 E. First St. studio, according to its Facebook page.
Additional drop boxes for gifts will be located at Front Street Alibi at 1605 E. Front St., Lazy Moon Tavern at 130 S. Lincoln St. and Castaways Restaurant at 1213 Marine Drive.
The burglars entered the warehouse building by an unlocked window in a room that was not being used by the Salvation Army, Ramsey said.
“No one thought to look back there,” he said.
It was not known how long the burglars were inside the building, but Ramsey said that the amount of sorting that was done indicates they were inside for several hours.
“They were looking around for a little while,” he said.
When a neighbor spotted the burglars and yelled at them, they ran and left behind several bags and boxes of items staged to be taken out the window, he said.
Only one of five brand-new bicycles remained.
Port Angeles Police Department officers who responded to a 9-1-1 call from a neighbor at about 7 a.m. found additional bags hidden under bushes in the parking area near the warehouse.
There are no suspects in the case.
“It was several people in dark clothing,” said Neisinger.
Neisinger said that the witness was unable to see the burglars well enough in the dark to provide a description or a specific number of people involved in the theft.
Police plan to review security tapes at nearby businesses to try to identify the suspects, he said.
It was not known Sunday if they were on foot or had a car nearby to transport the stolen items.
Neisinger said the items taken did not fit the usual profile of items stolen by burglars for resale.
“They may be trying to obtain gifts or use them as trade items,” he said.
It is the second time the Salvation Army in Port Angeles has been targeted by thieves in recent years.
In October 2011, an estimated 2,000 pounds of food was stolen from a storage trailer behind the organization’s kitchen, where they serve hot meals and offer food baskets for those in need.
Donors responded from as far away as Seattle, and the Salvation Army received more than 15 tons of food donations and $12,000 in cash donations.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
