Strathmore Celebration of Lights display vandalized
Posted Nov 21, 2016 2:16 pm.
Last Updated Nov 21, 2016 4:13 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
“You’re just sick to your stomach.”
That was Rose Hamrlik’s reaction Sunday morning when she found the Strathmore Celebration of Lights display which volunteers have been working on for months had been vandalized.
“You’re working every weekend, long weekends for about two months prior to opening,” she said, serving as the park’s president.
Sometime between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, vandals did their damage on the festival, which happens every year with 2016’s edition scheduled for this Saturday.
When volunteers arrived Sunday, decorations were smashed, the tent was slashed, trees were knocked down and even a propane line was cut.
Among the thousands of dollars in damage was a $500 Nutcracker statue.
Hamrlik said as the police investigate, the team will work all week to get the festival – celebrating its ninth year – ready for the weekend.
“There’s no dissension within the group, so we just go that’s fine, this has been done, we will carry on,” she said. “It was sad, but we have a park to open.”
Posts of the damage have also been shared on social media.
“Absolutely disgusting how people can willfully destroy the hard work of others and think nothing of it,” one man wrote.
“Those jerks they need a life,” another said.
