A cold-hearted theft from Port McNeill youngsters was offset by the actions of some big-hearted Mounties who replaced most of what crooks swiped.
Port McNeill Scouts and Guides conducted a bottle drive late last month that raised about $150 in empty containers, said Port McNeill RCMP Sgt. Phil Lue.
"It took the kids all day to collect the bottles and, when they were done, they locked the bottles in a shed behind the Scout Hall."
Sometime later a crook, or crooks, smashed open the padlock to the shed and took nearly every single bottle and container collected during the drive.
"It's disheartening for the young people who raised the money," said Lue.
While police, led by Const. Andrew Bachman, are investigating the incident, they went a step further.
An envelope was passed throughout the office and by the time the whip-around was finished, the nine members and two civilian employees had raised $115.
"We felt it was the least we could do," said Lue.
"There's a lot of the stuff we deal with, day-to-day, that as police we can't do much, but we saw this as something we could help with."
Anyone with any information about the theft is asked to call the Port McNeill detachment at 250-956-4441.
Or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. The call is anonymous and a tip that leads to an arrest could earn a cash reward.