SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - The Barbershop in Springfield is reeling after finding their window busted out and all of their Christmas donations for local children missing.
The burglary happened sometime overnight or early Friday morning.
"I thought everything was going to be gone," Andrew Sforza said, whose the owner of The Barbershop. "You didn't steam from me or him. You stole from kids. Kid's Christmas."
At least $2,000 in monetary donations was stolen from the shop. It was nearly a year's worth of saving and collecting. It was all in a donation bucket.
The Barbershop was planning to use that money to provide Christmas gifts for 45 kids in the area. Sforza said some kids wouldn't ask for gifts. They'd ask for coats and socks.
Someone broke out a window with a brick took the donation bucket.
The owner said they are determined to make sure those children still have presents under the tree despite the burglary. Not all hope is lost.
"There are some things money can’t buy like morals and integrity. We will make this Christmas happen no matter what, but I’m asking my customers and the community to come together and show these kids at Harvard Park that our community cares," Sforza posted on Facebook.
What took nearly a year to fill was slowly getting compensated in a matter of hours.
"Whatever you took the money for, you could've came in here and asked us for it." Sforza said. "We probably would've given it to you anyways."
The Barbershop is asking the community to help. They will be accepting donations until Dec. 15. So far, it's raised nearly $2,000. The goal is collect $5,000.
