ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) - Some kids in Escondido got a holiday surprise weeks after the disappearance of their Star Wars inflatables, paid mostly by allowance money.
As he opened the special delivery, you could say the Force is with Cleveland Thorns.
“I think this is a force of good,” said Thorns.
A few weeks ago, it felt like the opposite.
ABC 10News interviewed Desanie Reyes, a mom of 6, after a Darth Vader-level theft: 6 Star Wars inflatables disappeared from their holiday display off Orleans Avenue.
“It was devastating. I was crying,” Reyes said in the interview.
4 of her sons, ages 6, 8, 9, and 10, pitched in with their chore-earned allowance money to help buy some $500 worth of inflatables.
After the story on the theft aired, Steven Scuderi, an ABC 10News viewer, wrote in wanting to help.
“It just broke my heart to think, here’s a kid saving up his money, his own allowance, to buy decorations for the family, and something steals them,” said Scuderi.
So Scuderi decided to order something.
We delivered the package to Thorns, the boys’ uncle, and within a few minutes, he got it up and inflated: an 8-foot Han Solo riding a Tauntaun.
“It awesome. It fits perfectly,” said Thorns.
Moments later, on Thursday afternoon, the kids would get off from school and come home to a surprise.
“They were like, ‘Wow! Ooh! Ahh! So excited,’” said Reyes.
“It shows kindness in heart,” said Ricky, 10.
That kindness also showed in Gofundme campaign, which allowed to family to buy several smaller inflatables.
“It melts my heart, and the kid are slowly but surely forgetting about everything that happened,” said Reyes.
The sting of a theft has been lessened thanks to an act of generosity.
“Christmas spirit is back once again,” said Reyes.
“It will make Christmas a lot better,” said C.J.,9.
