DALTON, GA. (WRCB) -- A north Georgia Chili's restaurant made a startling
discovery. The money employees have raised for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has
been stolen!
The five-gallon jug contained hundreds of dollars. Now employees are
scrambling to replace what was taken.
"During a shift last night, it went missing," says manager, Orlando
Gonzalez.
A donation jug, filled with money raised to help kids fight cancer, slipped out
the door Tuesday night.
"Roughly I want to say $200 - $300 maybe," Gonzalez says. "It's hard to believe
that somebody would take the money from kids. It's hard on our staff, when we
try as hard as we can to raise the money and somebody comes by and does
something like that."
Orlando Gonzalez manages the Chili's in Dalton.
He says his staff has been working all month to raise $5,000 to fight childhood
cancer. They were halfway to their goal.
Gonzalez says it was tough for his staff to learn some of the money had been
taken.
"If this person was hungry, if they needed money, I could have donated a meal,"
he says. "But they have to do something like this. It's just a shame."
Managers filed a police report Tuesday afternoon with Dalton Police, but so far no
leads.
The wait staff is trying to replenish what was taken.
"They are out there trying to get their money back," says
Gonzalez.
And families like the Mullis' are stepping up, swapping donations for chili
pepper coloring sheets.
"I think only a dollar a piece, but I plan on making a donation when we walk
out though," says Michelle Mullis.
"It could make them feel better," says Kaylor Mullis.
Gonzalez is hoping the money is returned, but says his staff is focused on who
the money was raised for.
"We are doing this for the kids, and the kids need all the help they can get,"
he says.
Chili's is eight years into a ten-year campaign to raise $50 million for St.
Jude.
So far nationwide, $41 million has been raised.
Chili's in Dalton plans to donate all proceeds taken in on September 24th to
St. Jude.
Gonzalez is hopeful his staff will be able to make up for what was lost.
Stay with WRCBtv.com for updates to this story.
