OFF THE WIRE
BY: Heidi Hemmat|Reporter
KDVR Denver
Source: kdvr.com
LITTLETON, Colo. -- Blame it on the chaos of Black Friday.
Members of the Los Cochinos motorcycle club were among thousands of Colorado shoppers who hit the stores early Friday morning, but they weren’t buying for themselves. Instead they were loading up on toys for needy children.
The group’s “Toys in the Hood” project is an 8-year-old tradition. They stage fundraisers all year long to raise money for children who live in the projects.
But this year, their charitable shopping spree came to an abrupt halt, when Los Cochinos’ member Gail Valdez was loading toys into her car and somehow dropped a bank bag with $5,000.00 in cash donations in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
“It is very hard, it's very hard," said Valdez.
She noticed the money bag was missing a few minutes after the group left the store, but when they returned to the parking lot the bank bag was there, but the money was gone.
Valdez doesn’t blame the thief.
"I'm blaming myself for all this," Valdez told FOX31 News. "I should have done it differently."
Valdez contacted Wal-Mart’s manager at the store on Quincy and Wadsworth, but he told her the surveillance cameras in the parking lot were not working and no one had turned in the money.
FOX 31 also contact the store, but our calls were not returned.
Still, Valdez and the rest of the Los Cochinos motorcycle club are not giving up hope just yet.
They’re praying someone will turn in the money once they realize it was meant for a good cause and the children will get their Christmas after all.
If you would like to donate a toy or money contact City Councilman Paul Lopez 303-922-7755.
