Trailer containing practice equipment for youth football stolen

RACINE (WITI) -- A Racine County man is being accused of taking a trailer from a parking lot, but it's what was inside that is angering parents and putting a damper on a fall activity that children love.

More than 80 nine to 13-year-old football players are part of the Racine Gladiator Youth Football organization -- a traveling team preparing to play a national tournament in Cleveland, Ohio over the holiday weekend.

12-year-old Jack Wezyk is a member of the organization, and his mom says the team's practice gear, with an estimated value of $8,000 is gone.

The gear was being stored in a 16-foot black trailer, but it and everything inside was taken sometime between November 17th and November 19th.

Even though they no longer have their practice gear, the theft hasn't put a damper on the children's spirits, and hasn't derailed plans to play in the tournament this weekend.

"They're still going to go. I'm sure they'll do fine. They'll do a great job," Wezyk's mother, Diana Alexander told FOX6 News.

Players still have their individual game pads, game gear and jerseys -- but parents say they're upset because the children do fundraisers to try to earn the money to play.

"They stole equipment away from the children. I just hope that when they realize that it's just a bunch of youth football equipment that they decide to do the right thing and get it back," Alexander said.

Parents have forwarded tips to investigators on this matter, but there have not been results so far.

If you have any information on this crime, you're asked to contact Racine County Sheriff's Department at (262) 886-2300 or the Mount Pleasant Police Department at (262) 884-0454.