"As low as it gets": Cancer fundraiser tip jar stolen from Pelham, NH store
PELHAM, N.H. - Paul Marchand has owned Ray's Stateline Market for nearly 40 years and few things have upset him more than what happened Saturday.
"That's pretty low," Marchand said. "You're hurting a lot of people."
He's talking about the guy in the white hat and orange T-shirt who strolled into the store just after one Saturday afternoon.
But when he spotted the staff helping other customers, he allegedly grabbed the donation jar off the counter and made a beeline for his car with the jar tucked against his hip.
The money in the jar was destined for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a cause Marchand has supported ever since his wife Robin was diagnosed with cancer.
"I was pissed," Marchand said. "Dana-Farber has taken very good care of my wife for three years."
Their daughter ran the Boston Marathon for the same reason and the doctors at Dana-Farber now have Robin's cancer in remission. So, when the jar went missing and Marchand discovered surveillance video the next day, he marched straight to police.
Authorities shared three photos of the suspected thief, including one that appears to show him carrying the tip jar out of the store.
We are currently investigating the theft of a cancer fundraiser tip jar that was stolen from Ray's Stateline Market on...
Posted by Pelham Police Department on Monday, June 13, 2022
"This one kind of hits home for a lot of people," said Pelham Police Sgt. Brian Barbado. "Stealing from a cancer fundraiser is just as low as it gets."
Since the donation jar was first installed a year ago, the store has raised about $2800 for Dana-Farber and regulars are furious.
"It just dumbfounds me like why you would do that," said Marline Valle. "Especially when it's for people that really need it."
Anger over the theft has prompted Marchand to replace the stolen jar with two, hoping his regulars will now double down on donations.
"We've got good customers, generous customers and we've raised some good money for the cause," Marchand said.
He was driving a 2007 Ford Taurus with Massachusetts plates, but police commented on Facebook that the car is not registered to him.
Police said they are narrowing in on a suspect and hope to have an arrest warrant by the end of the week.