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An Okotoks lacrosse team is looking to pick up the pieces after thousands of dollars' worth of equipment was stolen.
The Okotoks Raiders Junior Ladies lacrosse team was in Red Deer on June 5 when their bus was broken into.
Thousands of dollars' worth of equipment was stolen, including goalie gear, player uniforms, and essential team tools.
"All in all, we're looking at $8,000 to $10,000 worth of material that was stolen from us," said Don Payne, assistant coach and general manager of the team. "We've gone on these trips very often. We do a couple of trips away every year, and this is the first time this has ever happened. It's hard to prepare for it, but it's even harder emotionally to accept what's happened and move on from it for sure."
Among the missing items was a specially curated team toolbox used for on-the-fly gear repairs, something Payne says took years to build.
"That alone is almost a $3,000 hit," he said. "I've been coaching a long time... and throughout it all, I've created this toolbox of what we need for every game, to fix a helmet or this or that. Losing that is a huge setback."
Despite the blow, the team rallied emotionally and even came away with a win that weekend.
"It was very emotional to our team," Payne said. "Not only for those who were stolen from, but for the rest of the team and how we rallied together. This will make us stronger.”
A fundraiser has since been launched to help cover the costs of replacing the stolen equipment. More than $5,000 has been raised so far.
"The lacrosse community in Alberta is tight and we support each other," said Payne. "We don’t expect their support, but we understand they’ll be there because they know what we’re going through."
Payne emphasized that while he hopes the individuals responsible are caught, his focus remains on the players.
"At the end of the day, my priority is making sure these athletes can keep playing tomorrow, next week, and beyond," he said. "That will never change."