Mother Nicole Gangemi with her son Anthony (9), who had the charity tin he placed at Lenard’s stolen, with Lenard’s owner Russel Keep and store manager Matt Heseltine.
Camera IconMother Nicole Gangemi with her son Anthony (9), who had the charity tin he placed at Lenard’s stolen, with Lenard’s owner Russel Keep and store manager Matt Heseltine. Credit: Supplied/Elle Borgward

Junior fundraiser rocked by theft

Bryce Luff, Cockburn GazetteFremantle Gazette

Nine-year-old Success resident Anthony Gangemi had gained permission to place the tin on the counter of chicken retailer Lenard’s.

His mother Nicole said the youngster was informed before Rocky Bay’s annual Walk With Me event that the tin had been taken.

‘He was devastated,’ she said.

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‘It wasn’t like it was a huge amount of money but it was going to go towards assisting a lot of really good people.’

Despite the setback, Anthony still managed to raise more than $1400 via Rocky Bay’s online fundraising push. His efforts, and that of many others across WA, took the State’s total to just under $20,000, while almost $100,000 was raised nationally.