A charity in the Calgary area has added a catalytic converter to its holiday wish list after learning one was stolen from its delivery truck late last month.
Magic of Christmas president Scott Perley said a volunteer noticed the part was gone as they were heading out to pick up deliveries.
“We went out to start the truck and it was making a weird sound,” Perley said.
“Somebody noticed a bunch of debris on the ground underneath the truck and figured out that they had taken our catalytic converter.”
Perley said the gas line and gas tank were also damaged during the theft.
“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “It’s pretty obviously that our truck is for a charity — it’s got a great big logo on the side saying ‘Magic of Christmas.'”
The delivery truck is used primarily to pick up donations in and around the Calgary area. According to the charity, it still has hundreds waiting to be picked up.
Since the theft, community partners have begun stepping up to help the charity during its busiest time of the year.
Matthew Paquin with Penske Truck Rental said when the Magic of Christmas called, it was a no-brainer to help them out.
“(With the) Magic of Christmas kind of struggling this time of year, we just wanted to really step up to the plate and really offer them a solution so they’ll be able to deliver Christmas to their customers,” Paquin said.
“They were like, ‘Yeah, here, use a truck,’” Perley said.
“We usually work with them, but they (said), … ‘You know, take it right away.'”
The charity said it is still in need of donations to help fill enough packages for 900 families in need this Christmas.
Lise Audet with the Magic of Christmas said one of the organization’s biggest asks is for items for girls ages five to seven.
“Kids like big toys like Barbie stuff and Barbie house, Barbie doll — stuff like that,” Audet said. “The boys, we’re OK for the big toys. We need infant (items).”
Volunteers with the Magic of Christmas will soon begin loading the packages onto Calgary Transit buses for delivery on Christmas Eve.
The Magic of Christmas is a 100 per cent volunteer-run organization that has delivered Christmas to families for over 40 years.