Easter egg donations for sick children stolen
Mark SkinnA trolley full of more than 30 Easter eggs intended for children in hospital has been stolen from a Tesco in Goole, the supermarket confirmed.
The Easter egg appeal, organised by Goole Vikings Supporters Club, asked shoppers to donate treats to the Disney Ward at Scunthorpe General Hospital.
Mark Skinn, organiser of the appeal, said he was "disappointed, frustrated [and] in disbelief", but added the public's response to the incident had been "unbelievable".
A Tesco spokesperson said: "While it's upsetting that Easter eggs donated for the Disney Ward at Scunthorpe Hospital were stolen, we've replaced the missing eggs and introduced a secure donation point."
The spokesperson added: "We're grateful for the generosity shown by our Goole Boothferry Road Superstore customers."
The eggs were taken from Tesco on Boothferry Road at 20:15 GMT on Monday, Skinn said.
After posting about the incident on social media, Skinn, chair of the Goole Vikings Supporters Club, said his Facebook "lit up" with support.
"Offers of donations have been flooding in, almost immediately, from individuals, friends, local businesses," he said. "Its been amazing."
Skinn already had more than 170 donations and said he "can't imagine what the final count will be from all the donation points when we get to Easter".
"It's beyond anything I could have ever imagined," he added.
'Sense of community'
Alongside the Tesco on Boothferry Road, donation points were set up at N.U.R Club, Asda, Morrisons and the Treehouse Nursery.
The organiser said he had also received more than £700 in donations.
After the increase in offerings, Skinn said he would extend the egg donations to three local hospitals with children's wards, with the cash going to a local hospice.
They will be delivered on Easter Sunday with the help of other Supporters' Club members and representatives of the Goole Vikings.
Any eggs left over would be donated to the Goole Vikings junior teams, he added.
Skinn said: "I can't thank the people of Goole enough for their generosity, sense of community and pulling together to show this amount of support to myself, Goole Vikings Supports Club and most importantly the children that all this is aid of.
"It makes me proud to be a Goolie when I see this sense of community spirit."
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