Donations for cancer patients stolen from Suisun City fire truck
SUISUN CITY, Calif. (KTVU) - What was stolen out of an old pink fire engine last weekend has many people in Suisun City shaking their heads in disgust.
"It's pretty darn low," said Steve Lessler, a longtime resident of Suisun City.
Last weekend someone stole a backpack containing the cash donations from a fundraiser to benefit cancer patients and their families.
The money was raised by Pink Heals Solano.
Suisun City Fire Chief Mike O'Brien is head of Pink Heals Solano. He says after a day of selling pink heals t-shirts he put the cashbox in the backpack, threw it in the unlocked engine cab, and continued cleaning up.
Minutes later O'Brien noticed the backpack was gone.
"Disbelief that anyone would do that. Would stoop that low," said O'Brien.
Also gone were his fire department radio, cellphone, and most importantly the hundreds of dollars in donations for cancer patients.
"It hurts. Every dime we lose can't go to someone to help them," said O'Brien.
With the money it raises, Pink Heals has helped more than 60 families, including children battling cancer.
That includes 8-year-old Charlie DeGrange who has an inoperable brain tumor.
Recently Vacaville police and firefighters convoyed to Charlie's house with the Pink Heals truck for a party for Charlie's little league baseball team.
"I like the pink fire truck and all the cops came. I liked the art when they gave me all this stuff," said Charlie.
It is people such as the DeGrange's who are the real victims of this theft.
"You take from someone that gives to little kids like this one over there hope? That was the tough part," said Charlie's father Greg DeGrange.
Maybe that's why so many people are asking what Steve Lessler wondered, "how low can you go?"