100+ Pound Mushroom Statue Meant For Charity Stolen In Chester County
By Kristen Johanson
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (CBS) - A Chester County business owner is asking for the public's help finding a stolen concrete mushroom, which was meant to raise money for charity.
Lynn Sinclair owns Sinclair's Sunrise Cafe in Kennett Square. She asked other local businesses to sponsor an artistically designed mushroom statue to be auctioned off at the annual Mushroom Festival in September.
The money raised goes to local charities. Sinclair sponsored one of her own, and says her statue was taken from her business on State Street. When she came into work Friday morning, it was gone:
"I asked the waitress if someone had borrowed the mushroom for some reason, and she said 'no, I thought maybe you took it somewhere,' which is kind of funny because it weights 108 pounds, so it's not like anybody would just borrow it."
Sinclair says the title of the mushroom is "Sunrise to Sunset:"
"It was different aspects of day time and night time, and I vowed that I would have the high bid at the silent auction, and I would buy that mushroom."
A total of eight businesses participated, but her mushroom was the only one stolen. Police believe the fungi structure was taken sometime Thursday night into Friday morning.
"It's a big blow to spend your time volunteering to do things, and then have this opportunity taken away," says Sinclair.
She hopes it pops up soon:
"I am not only disappointed that I don't have the opportunity to buy, but the artist that painted it also doesn't have the opportunity to win a prize for the highest selling mushroom."
Sinclair adds she just wants it back, no questions asked.
