The VI Raiders had their locker room at Comox Gyro Park broken into sometime between Tuesday, Sep. 14 and Wednesday, Sep. 15 with around $15,000 worth of team gear stolen. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

EQUIPMENT THEFT

VI Raiders hurting following major equipment theft at Comox Park

Sep 21, 2021 | 10:16 AM

NANAIMO — The VI Raiders Football Club have suffered a major setback early into their season.

Local Mounties said between 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Sep. 14 and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sep. 15, one person or a group of people broke into the team’s changing room at Comox Gyro Park on Comox Rd.

Josh Williams, Raiders general manager, told NanaimoNewsNOW several team helmets, equipment bags, training jerseys and other equipment was stolen in a “smash and grab” job.

“They also took a couple of big speakers which I know the boys had saved up and paid for themselves for the locker room,” Williams said. “It just hurts us overall as a team right now and as an organization, we’re trying to put our best product on the field and to have a hurdle like this come up midway through the season, it really impacts us.”

The total value of the lost gear is in the neighbourhood of $15,000, a lot of it featuring the Raiders logo.

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Williams said it appeared whoever was responsible also stole some emergency earthquake supplies from a neighbouring sea container before moving over to the locker room.

The theft is a major financial blow to the team who went without a season in 2020 due to the pandemic.

“We’re operating as best we can during a COVID season so something like this really impacts our bottom line financially in being able to provide our guys with enough gear, enough equipment to field a proper sized team.”

Williams added they’ll need to make some adjustments in the off-season and come up with extra cash to fulfill their goals of recruiting more high-end players and operating with a larger roster.

“We’re going to have to come up with 20 to 30 sets of extra gear to field a regular sized football team in the 80 to 100 man area.”

Nanaimo RCMP are appealing for the public’s help through any dash cam or other security footage of the area on Tuesday or Wednesday. They’re asking people to call the detachment at 250 754 2345 and quote file number 2021-34968.

Williams added anyone with information, or willing to help the team out through this situation can email info@viraiders.ca.

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