SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (NewsNation Now) — Days before Thanksgiving, 200 new donated tricycles were stolen from a storage facility that housed toys for the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program— a nonprofit serving children in need since 1949.
Burglars are believed to have gotten past security measures including a chainlink fence and cut locks at a Bayview location storage area. The thieves pilfered brand new tricylces, many of them Radio Flyer brand.
“It’s impact is a lot because for some children it’s the only toys they get for the holidays,” program chairperson Sally Casazza told NewsNation affiliate KRON.
“The difference it makes right now is children that are under five will not have any vehicle to ride on,” Casazza added. “We have no wagons, but these are the things we were considering giving out to the younger children.”
Last year, the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program served 31,000 families, many with more than one child. Police are reviewing security video in their investigation but the organization is hopeful that the stolen tricylces will be returned or the community will help.
“To replace them, I’m hoping the public will be, you know, will open their hearts and their pocketbooks just a little bit and as a business, maybe, donate one bike maybe as a group effort,” Casazza said.
The program hopes to distribute toys beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving.
NewsNation affiliate KRON contributed to this report.