CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police said someone stole at least half a dozen trees from Saint Gabriel's Church in south Charlotte.
Trees have been sold there for 32 years.
Members of the tree drive said that over the years if someone needed a tree and couldn't pay for it, they've never had a problem giving them one.
St. Gabriel Men's Club has helped people pick out the focal point of their Christmas celebrations, and this year, was the first time someone stole trees.
Glenn Shorkey is the chairman of the Christmas tree drive
"It never came to us that somebody might load up a trailer and take us off like that," Shorkey said.
Parents were waiting at a school bus stop at about 7 a.m. Monday when they saw someone stealing the trees.
"They looked down here, they saw somebody loading some of the wrapped trees into a trailer and they know that there shouldn't be anybody there," Shorkey said.
He says the thief quickly drove away with $600 worth of Christmas trees.
"Every year we make probably about $30,000 on the trees and that stays right here in the community," Shorkey said.
The tree drive is one of the Men's Club’s top fundraisers of the year with the sales going to charity.
"If they try it again on somebody else, let's hope they get caught because there's just no reason for them to do that," Shorkey said.
He said they still have plenty of trees to sell and in the spirit of the holidays, he wishes the Grinch who stole the Christmas trees the best.
Shorkey said they do have police that patrol the area, but the lot is not locked up.
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