Vandalism reported on Christmas trees at Pioneer Park in Mooresville

Mooresville, Indiana – Several Christmas trees displayed at Pioneer Park in Mooresville were damaged on Thanksgiving night.

A Facebook post reveals that the trees were involved in a fundraiser and decorating contest called Adopt-a-Tree. The fundraiser took place during Mooresville’s Annual Victorian Christmas Celebration.

Regina Shelby, the board president overseeing Mooresville’s Annual Victorian Christmas Celebration, recounted, “I received a call from one of our decorators who informed me, ‘Hey, you have a couple of trees that are down, you might want to go check on this.’”

Shelby said that she made a visit to Pioneer Park on Friday morning. Upon her arrival, she discovered trees that had been broken at their bases and trampled into the earth. Shelby reported that 11 out of the 20 trees on display were damaged, with some being irreparably broken.

A Facebook post reveals that the decorating contest involving the vandalized trees contributes to fundraising efforts for Churches in Mission. This organization offers food, clothing, financial aid, and various resources to residents in need within Morgan County.

“We put in a lot of effort to bring Victorian Christmas to life,” Shelby stated. “It was truly heartbreaking to have someone take this away.”

Shelby stated that she was responsible for posting images of the damaged trees on the official Facebook page for Mooresville’s Annual Victorian Christmas Celebration. She mentioned that the post gained traction rapidly, and the community response was nearly instantaneous.

“This morning, one of our community members shared their truth,” Shelby stated. “This morning, Josh McDonald from Mack Construction visited us to repair several items and also provided us with new trees.”

At Pioneer Park, there are now at least 30 trees on display, thanks to McDonald and others who contributed to this collection.

“It was heartwarming to see the community unite and offer their support overnight,” Shelby remarked. “The speed at which they rallied to assist us with donations and demonstrate their solidarity is truly remarkable.”

The vandalized trees at Pioneer Park have largely been removed or repaired, but Shelby and other organizers of the Victorian Christmas event are urging anyone with information about the incident to reach out to the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department or the Mooresville Parks and Recreation District.

The Victorian Christmas celebration in Mooresville is set to take place as planned on December 7, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At the time this article was published, there were no further details regarding the reported vandalism.