Burglary shuts down local Shriners' beef booth at Evergreen State Fair

MONROE, Wash. — A local Shriners chapter says its fundraising for Shriners hospital kids took a big hit this week when someone stole equipment from one of its booths at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe.

Normally, lines of customers would be outside the chapter's beef stand, where the proceeds go toward the Shriner's Children's Hospital. But when they opened the booth for this year's fair, they discovered their beef shredder and vegetable slicer worth more than $10,000 were stolen.

As a result, their beef booth was shuttered.

"The equipment that we had here is not something you can just run out to Walmart and get. It was an industrial strength beef slicer and an industrial strength vegetable slicer," said Darrick Hayman with Nile Shriners.

Local fairgoers said the Shriners' beef booth is something they look forward to every year.

"It's terrible. It's awful. We're gonna go over there and donate," said Mountlake Terrace man Jud Hedges.

Thankfully, the beef is only half of the chapter's fundraising efforts. Their corn on the cob station is still open, and Hayman said people who have heard their story have dropped by to donate, even $100 bills.

So, while their fundraising for children may have taken a hit, they're still making the most of it.

"It's disappointing for us, expecting to show up and fundraise for a cause that we all deeply believe in," said Hayman.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office was notified, but so far there haven't been any leads.

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