Parents chase down teenager in Saskatoon who stole cash from cancer walk

Saskatoon Flag (Wikimedia Commons, Fair Use)

SASKATOON — A group of parents are being hailed as heroes after stopping a teen from stealing money raised at a local cancer walk in Saskatoon on the weekend.

More than 400 people took part in the event, which raised nearly $8,000 for kids’ cancer research across Canada.

Walk organizer Carolyn Anderson says many bystanders noticed a teenager lingering around during the walk.

Anderson says the boy crept up behind the donation table and swiped a donation box filled with more than $1,200 in cash, cheques and credit card information.

However, she says about 20 parents immediately ran after him and took the money back.

Saskatoon police have charged a 17-year-old boy with theft, uttering threats, breach of probation, and assault with a weapon after he threatened a person with a pair of pliers.

Alton Whitefish of the Big River First Nations was attending the event with his wife and 12-year-old daughter, Shaleah, who beat cancer.

Whitefish says he ran after the suspect alongside several others and helped to stop the culprit before police arrived.

“My first instinct was to just get up and chase him and get that money back because I can’t stress enough how important that money is,” Whitefish says.