Police: Materials for sunflower deck stolen

Avon police are trying to figure out who took construction materials and tools that were being used for the Planting Hope Sunflower Garden in honor of Maria McNamara.

At 2:45 p.m., July 25, police were told that the lock on the construction storage container had been cut off and several items were taken.

Some of the items police reported missing include a Troybilt Generator, power hand tools, plastic decorative lattice and construction wood used for framing, other wood materials and power tools.

A news release said police believe the theft occurred between 6 p.m., July 21, and 2:45 p.m., July 25.

Ed McNamara, father of Maria, said he is sad about what has happened.

“Lowe’s donated all that time and material,” McNamara said. “It was Lowe’s equipment that got stolen. They donated thousand of dollars of stuff.”

On April 1, 2006, Maria was diagnosed with diffused intrinsic pontine glioma, a cancer of the brain. She died July 14, 2007, at age 7.

On June 15, a temporary observation deck, sunflower deck and storage shed were approved by the Avon Planning Commission for people to get a different view off the sunflower field located along Interstate 90, which is expected to span more than 50 acres.

The sunflowers also commemorate Prayers from Maria Children’s Glioma Cancer Foundation. The McNamaras and the Foundation have raised funds to support research on glioma, which is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in youths.

“This is just an absolute shame; it’s horrible; it’s sad,” McNamara said, stating that Lowe’s is 85 percent done with the project. “They do this on their free time.”

Incidents like this, he said, send a negative message to people who want to donate their time or materials to a good cause, but are afraid of getting something stolen.

Police have very little information to go on in determining who committed the theft. They are asking if anyone saw anything related to the incident, contact the Avon Police Department Detective Bureau at 440-934-7635.