Local scout chapter asks for public’s help finding $28,000 in stolen bikes
By DREW MARINE
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VANCOUVER, Washington (KPTV) — Every summer kids from Oregon and across the country head to the coast with the Cascade Pacific Council Boy Scouts of America.
In the last few years, they’ve started up a mountain bike program where scouts can ride along a 2.5 mile trail.
“Rollers, jumps and a big old bridge. It’s right through the woods right at the Oregon coast just south of Cape Lookout at Camp Meriwether,” Chris Herold, Resident Camping Director, said.
He said they have a brand-new fleet of more than 40 bikes for scouts to use each summer.
“Every year we take these bikes from camp, make sure they’re in good condition and sell them off and then buy the new fleet so our scouts are using the best, new equipment,” Herold said.
Then, on Monday, a white box van with more than half of their fleet was stolen from a volunteer’s house in Vancouver. Herold said in total, this is a $28,000 hit.
“It’s a gut punch to the program because you have to fund the new bikes with the old bikes you sell off,” he said. “Big white box full of gray bikes. They were REI bikes, real decent bikes, mountain bikes, hardtails. Losing the truck’s a blow too.”
Now, Herold is asking the community to keep an eye out for the van and bikes so scouts can ride as normal this summer.
“When they come to summer camp, they’re outdoors they’re with their friends putting themselves through age-appropriate challenges. In this covid time, they haven’t had a lot of that, or not as much as they need. So, we want to give kids that opportunity. Getting those bikes is one piece of the puzzle,” Herold said.
If you spot the bikes or the van, you can call the CPCBSA at 503-226-3423 or the Clark County Sheriff’s Office at 564-397-2211.
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