After theft of 500-plus gifts intended for kids’ Christmas, Sonora area plays Santa
Sonora-area residents stepped up after the theft of hundreds of children’s gifts stored for a Christmas Eve event.
The gathering will go on Saturday at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds, thanks to people who donated money and replacement gifts. The word of the theft got out via mymotherlode.com, owned by local radio stations, and the Union Democrat newspaper.
More than 500 toys, gift cards and other items were taken from a storage locker, organizer Cathie Peacock told the newspaper. Also gone were two Santa Claus suits for the 39th annual Community Christmas Eve Dinner.
Supporters responded with cash, checks and gifts, including a toy drive at the local Walmart and donations through the Sonora Area Foundation. Help came from people as far away as Michigan who have local connections.
“We’ve had an overwhelming response to our plea yesterday to replace all the missing gifts,” Peacock said Friday. She also got 12 offers of Santa suits to replace the lost pair.
“We are almost more stunned by the response than we were to find the toys missing,” Peacock said. “I can’t put into words how generous this community is, but I know it, and I can really feel it.”
Peacock did not disclose the location of the storage business. Details on the theft were not available from either the Sonora Police Department or the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office.
This story was originally published December 24, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
