Watertown Family Gives Back After Holiday Decorations Destroyed
WATERTOWN, Minn. (WCCO) -- After their Christmas cheer was stolen, Chad Semeja and his family are giving back.
Handing out candy canes and accepting donations for the local food shelf in front of their home on Saturday night are just small tokens of their appreciation.
It takes nearly three days to put up this massive holiday display, filled with everything from puppies to dolphins.
On Sunday night, Semeja went outside and discovered an inflatable decoration slashed, a holiday bell and lights cut in half and a fence ripped apart.
It's the second time his display has been vandalized and other homes in the town were also hit during the spree.
RELATED: Watertown Grinch Accused Of Vandalizing Holiday Displays
But just as fast as those lights were torn down, folks stepped up.
"This (inflatable) was donated by a single mom with three kids because of the display," said Semeja.
Items have been pouring in, with one anonymous donor even giving the city 20 decorations for those affected by the Christmas Grinch.
Semeja was even gifted with a home security system.
"This year actually taught me how much people enjoy it. You always say you do it for the kids and the neighborhood, but you don't realize it until this day, that it actually impacted people," Semeja said.
The display is his family's gift to the community, a present that will continue to shine on thanks to the generosity of others.
The Carver County Sheriff's Office is investigating this case.
So far, no arrests have been made.
The City of Watertown is offering a $500 reward for anyone with information that could lead to a conviction in this case.
