Outrage over charity theft

The theft of three Ronald McDonald collection boxes used to raise money to support children battling cancer and chronic illnesses has brought condemnation.

Two Otaki youths, aged 17 and 18, will appear in Levin District Court today charged with theft after three collection boxes, containing about $30 each, were stolen from the counter of the Mana McDonald's restaurant on July 3.

Sergeant Noel Bigwood, of Otaki, said that once word got around town, whoever took the money would not be able to hold their head up with pride in the community.

"It is not the sort of thing they dare skite about in this town they would be stupid to skite about a thing like this because there are a lot of people who would take an extremely dim view of those actions," Mr Bigwood said.

Ronald McDonald House Charities NZ programme manager Grant Hiskens said there had been about 10 thefts of single collection boxes from McDonald's counters nationwide in the past year, but three had not been taken in one swoop before.

There had been the occasional theft late at night, Mr Hiskens said, which were generally opportunistic, possibly dares waged by young people not really realising what they were doing. But they were thefts from a child charity nonetheless, he said.

The theft of the three boxes in Mana occurred at 9.50pm.

"It is despicable because they are stealing not only from the public but chronically and terminally ill children," he said.

The charity provided accommodation and support at its three Ronald McDonald houses in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch for transplant recipients and children suffering chronic and terminal illnesses including cancer, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy and heart disease, he said.

There were 144 McDonald's outlets in New Zealand and $165,000 had been raised so far this year from counter collections.