Christmas lights, inflatable toy soldiers targeted by Grinch, ruining Gold Coast father’s Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser

A South East Queensland suburb is suffering a spate of acts of vandalism on Christmas decorations, with the latest victim a father raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

A Queensland family’s Christmas inflatables and lights which were part of their efforts to raise thousands of dollars for charity have been stabbed and severed.

In a despicable Grinch-like act, seven sets of festive lights were cut, and two four-metre blow-up toy soldiers were ruined – the wiring was severed for one, and the other was stabbed.

Coomera resident Hayden Annand with one of his deflated toy soldiers. Photo: Nigel Hallett.

The festive cheer has suffered a major blow on Edmond Street in the Gold Coast suburb of Coomera after the vandal/s struck during the early hours of Saturday morning.

Hayden Annand had 41,000 lights and nine inflatables on and around his home, worth around $8000. The vandal/s have inflicted at least $1000 worth of damage.

He planned a four-day fundraiser this month, aiming to raise $5000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which organises memorable experiences for critically ill children.

The first two days scheduled for last weekend were washed out by rain, but he was set to go ahead this coming weekend and had garnered “a lot of community interest”.

“We were going to do a sausage sizzle, have an ice cream truck come here, and we were going to have a local police officer come dressed as Santa and ask for a gold coin donation for family pictures with Santa,” Mr Annand said.

He announced on Sunday night that his display is “off until further notice”.

Mr Annand’s fundraiser is now dependent on Christmas decoration supply chains and whether he can get replacement lights and inflatables this week.

“I noticed a few days before (his decorations were targeted) there were a few Facebook posts about other people’s lights being damaged in the Coomera area,” he said.

“But I thought: ‘Surely I won’t get targeted as well.’

“One cut wire in the wind is a coincidence, but not seven.”

Mr Annand’s Edmond Street display is worth around $8000. Photo: Nigel Hallett

Mr Annand only moved to his Coomera home six weeks ago. He does have a CCTV camera attached to his house, but it was down and charging when the vandal/s struck.

With no footage to be used as evidence, and no certainty exactly when the damage occurred, he decided against filing a police report.

“I started doing Christmas decorations where I used to live in Pimpama,” Mr Annand said.

“My Mum and Dad used to do it too and they won competitions in 1997-2001 in Sydney.”

Mr Annand, who has a son and is also a foster father to his sister’s two children, is holding out hope he can go ahead with his fundraiser on Friday and Saturday, December 22-23.

Those wishing to donate to his Make-A-Wish fundraiser can do so here.