A holiday toy drive at Club 400 Bar and Grill in Waukesha took an unfortunate turn when the first donation was stolen and discarded.
According to TMJ4, the bar’s cook, Dave, had generously contributed a new toy over the weekend. By Monday, the box was found torn open and the toy gone.
Andrea Dorantes, owner of Club 400, expressed her dismay, saying, “We were both kind of sad. We were excited because we hadn’t done anything like this before.” Despite the setback, Andrea and her team are determined to keep the holiday spirit alive.
The toy drive is part of the Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County’s annual program, which helps bring Christmas cheer to the children of low-income families. Sarah Hein, the organization’s executive director, emphasized the importance of donations, noting they aim to assist around 4,500 children each year. “We aim to help as many families as we can because we just want it to be a magical Christmas,” Hein said.
Instead of focusing on the theft, Club 400 is encouraging the community to step up and replace the stolen toy—and more. “Hopefully replacing the toy that somebody ruined?” asked TMJ4’s Rebecca Klopf. “And then some,” Andrea replied.
If you’d like to support the toy drive, you can drop off a new, unwrapped toy at Club 400 (322 Williams St, Waukesha) until Dec. 17. For additional drop-off locations, visit the Christmas Clearing Council’s website.
This story is a testament to the resilience of holiday spirit, proving that even a Grinch can’t stop a community from spreading Christmas cheer.
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