AUBURN – Someone stole a jar full of donations for the troops in Iraq from a downtown redemption center Thursday afternoon.

The center collected money in a plastic pretzel jar for about a month, said Wendy Leavitt, manager of the Twin Cities Redemption Center on Spring Street.

The money was earmarked for the New Auburn American Legion Post 153 to help them collect goods to send to the soldiers.

“That money was going to pay for postage for all the stuff they have to send,” Leavitt said.

“People were putting money in all the time. When they would turn in their cans and bottles, a little always went into the jar. Even the kids were doing it, putting a few cents in all the time.”

Leavitt hadn’t counted the money, but she figured there was about $200 in it, until about 2 p.m. Thursday.

“We figure he just kind of swept it into his box before he left,” Leavitt said.

“We had a bunch of people there anyway and we were throwing bottles around and doing our job. One minute it was there. Then, we turned around and it was gone.”

The center has pledged to replace the money that was stolen, and a new, improved jar is on the counter. This one is duct-taped to a small stool nailed to the counter.

“They won’t get away with this one without taking the whole counter,” Leavitt said. “And we’re looking for him now, whoever he is.”

staylor@sunjournal.com