The Grinch came early this year...

Each year, the Downtown San Leandro Community Benefit District brings holiday cheer to Downtown San Leandro with its annual tree lighting and oversized, brightly colored nutcrackers placed on corners throughout downtown. But this year, the Grinch came early to San Leandro.

On Sunday evening, vandals broke into our storage building where we store our 20’ Christmas tree and over twenty 6’ tall nutcrackers. At least fifteen fiberglass nutcrackers, valued at over $16,000, were damaged beyond repair by the vandals.

When I walked in and saw the nutcrackers strewn about the floor, my heart just sank. The nutcrackers signal the start of the holiday season here in San Leandro. Families walk or bike all around downtown to find them, and if they aren’t there this year, there will be a lot of disappointed kiddos.

Equally devastating, the loss may extend past the holiday season. Our organization helps pay for community events throughout the year with the money we raise from businesses sponsoring the nutcrackers. Our small businesses have struggled so much over the past eighteen months with COVID. We had plans to use the nutcracker funds for a ‘welcome back’ event in the Spring. It feels like one step forward, two steps backward.

Any contribution you can make to help replace the nutcrackers will be much appreciated!

Thank you!

Morgan