Nearly $180,000 in donations have poured in to replace a cherished, vandalized Jackie Robinson memorial statute that was stolen from a youth baseball field in Kansas last week.
In addition, Major League Baseball is also stepping in to help with the cause.
During the Jan. 24 theft, two suspects knocked over a bronze statue of the first Black MLB player in McAdams Park, and allegedly took off with it in a pickup truck, the Wichita Police Department reported.
Nothing was left at the scene except for shoes from the statue. Officials said the statue weighed hundreds of pounds and was found two days later, burned beyond repair.
Officials estimated damages as a result of the crime to be close to $75,000.
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Fundraiser nets close to $200,000 in donations
As of Thursday morning, an online fundraiser created byJaclyn Evans, the Administrative Assistant for League 42 Foundation, a nonprofit organization, had raised more than $177,000 to replace the memorial.
According to the page, since the fundraiser was created four days ago, donations from more than 3,300 people have poured in.
"Money donated will go directly to this cause," Evans wrote. "Any donations that exceed our goal will be put to use to fund our operational needs, including our four education programs."
According to an update on the fundraising page posted Wednesday, its organizers said they will also "ramp up the pavilion area, in which Jackie stood before and will stand again, with added security measures and more."
MLB steps in to help
Bob Lutz, the founder of the League 42 baseball program that built the statue, said MLB and the 30 clubs will replace the statue − a move also reported by MLB.com.
The Hall of Famer became the first Black professional baseball player in 1947. He played second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Kansas City Monarchs. He died Oct. 24, 1972.
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Statue's burned remnants found in nearby park
Several days after the theft, police reported firefighters found burned remnants of the statue after responding to a trash can fire at another park several miles from where it was taken.
A pickup truck police say was used in the crime was later found abandoned.
As of Thursday, no arrests had been announced in the case.
Police still looking for statue thieves
In a Facebook post, the department released a photo that depicts a silver SUV with four doors and an extended cab wanted in connection with the crime.
"This is OUR time to come together as a community to find out who would do such a horrible thing to OUR community," police posted.
Anyone with information about the truck or the stolen statue was asked to call Wichita police.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
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2024-02-01 16:56:38Z
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