LITTLETON, Colo. — Officials with the Columbine Memorial Foundation said in a social media post that the donation box that sits on the memorial located in Clement Park was dug up and stolen from the site sometime between Nov. 13-15.
The foundation's Facebook post reads, "The donation box appears to have been completely removed from the ground, with concrete base intact."
"This would have taken a fair amount of time so we are hoping someone saw this happening," the post says.
Kirsten Kreiling, a past president of the memorial foundation's board, said the donation box was donated a few years ago.
"It had a double-locking mechanism, very difficult to get into, so someone was very intent on digging this thing out," Kreiling said.
Kreiling said the all-volunteer board manages the maintenance and improvements for the memorial and works every year to raise the funds to continue the site's maintenance.
"We certainly have not raised enough donations to fund this year's maintenance," said Kreiling. "That costs between $12,000-$15,000."
The memorial foundation has seen a drop off in donations this year, along with other nonprofits working through the pandemic, said Kreiling.
"Since the 20th anniversary of the memorial, people have forgotten about it over time," said Kreiling. "This theft is adding insult to injury."
9NEWS spoke to Frank DeAngelis, former principal of Columbine High School, who retired from the school in 2014 after leading the school for 35 years.
He recalled that the memorial is a place of reflection, a time for hope or a time to remember people who so tragically lost their lives or were hurt.
DeAngelis said the entire community was impacted by the school shooting and this type of crime has never happened at the memorial.
"We get tens of thousands of people visiting the memorial from around the country, from around the world. It is a place of reflection for people," said DeAngelis. "It has a major impact for people who visit, so it really is disheartening for someone to do something like this."
He remembered when they broke ground for the memorial.
"The people giving money, little kids giving their savings," he added. "That memorial was built by people not only in the Columbine community, but the entire state. I think they're all affected by this."
If you have any information about the theft or saw any suspicious activity, please contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office non-emergency number at 303-271-0211.
The foundation asked that donations be made through their website at columbinememorial.org.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers
Anyone with information can also call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or by visiting metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers works by assigning a code to people who anonymously submit a tip. Information is shared with law enforcement, and Crime Stoppers are notified at the conclusion of the investigation.
From there, an awards committee reviews the information provided and, if the information leads to an arrest, the tipster will be notified. Rewards can be collected using the code numbers received when the tip was originally submitted.
> More information about Metro Denver Crime Stoppers can be found here.
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