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Stolen bottles knock Campbell River Judo Club to the mat

Non-profit uses recycling to pay for athlete travel expenses
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The Campbell River Judo club had their depositable recycling stolen from their storage unit recently. The non-profit club uses the funds from bringing the bottles and cans in to help pay for travel expenses for their judo athletes. Photo by Marissa Tiel/Campbell River Mirror

The Campbell River Judo Club is crying foul after discovering the lock on their storage container cut this week and all their depositable recyclables gone.

According to committee member Kristy Masters, the storage container in Merecroft was used to store bottles and cans that club members would collect from friends and family until they were brought in for refunds. They would do about four loads a year and were coming up on a load in December, after doing one in August.

Masters estimates that each time the unit is emptied, the club makes between $1,500 and $2,000. In a Facebook post to their page, the judo club estimates there was between $400 and $500 worth of bottles and cans in the unit at the time of the theft.

“I hope whoever broke into our container and stole the cans and bottles from fundraising needed it more than our small group of athletes,” the post said.

Masters called the loss “detrimental.”

The non-profit uses the money collected from the deposits to help fund the travel expenses of about 30 athletes.

“They’re constantly travelling,” said Masters. “It helps out huge for the parents.”

She said the club has been storing bottles in the unit for years, but this is the first time the lock has been cut. The theft was discovered Monday by the club president, who was bringing a load of bottles to the unit. Masters said they believe the theft took place over the weekend.

She also has a load of bottles in her truck.

”Now where am I going to take them,” she said.

The club has since replaced the old lock.

If you’d like to help help the club out, you can get in contact with them through their Facebook page: CR Judoclub.

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