Thieves Have Bartlesville Club Scrambling To Complete Christmas Light Display

Thieves stole thousands of dollars from a local Christmas light's display.

The Bartlesville Rotary Club puts on the display every year and on Tuesday, thousands of dollars in equipment was stolen right out of the park they've been setting up in.

The gate is now locked at Johnstone Park where the Fantasy Land lights display is being set up.

Organizers said they hope the lock and some newly added security measures will prevent anyone else from trying to take their holiday spirit.

One by one light bulbs are checked on the Christmas displays being set up in Bartlesville's Johnstone park. It's a painstaking process, but also a passion for members of the Daybreak Rotary Club.

"I'm bi-plane Santa this year, so, which is good because I was last year, so it's not as much of a learning curve bolting it together and making sure all the lights are on," said volunteer David Oakley.

It's going to be a tougher task this year after a majority of the extension cords used in the grand light display were stolen from a trailer Tuesday.

"It's an attack on the heart of Christmas, the heart of the holiday season for our community," said Bill Riley with Daybreak Rotary Club.

The group is now scrambling just two weeks before show time.

"This is the first time we've experienced a setback, and extension cords, they're not cheap," Oakley said.

Riley said, "We still need probably another 30 to 50 maybe 75 more cords just to get all the displays lit up."

It's a disheartening setback for a Bartlesville tradition that has many scratching their heads.

"They said, ‘that's horrible, they do that to the children,' because it's the children that come through that really enjoy this,” Riley said.

Organizers said they won't let the crime ruin their Christmas.

"The park is going to open November 20th come hell or high water," said Riley.

That's a promise the group is making even with thousands of dollars lost on an event that relies solely on donations.

"It's just sad, you know, because we do this for the community," Oakley said.

Bartlesville police are offering a $1,000 reward for any information that could lead them to the thief or thieves involved in the crime.

The lights will go on November 20th and last until December 30th.