KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When some Grinches tried to steal Christmas from the Tucker family, the community helped them build a new display even bigger than the one they had before.
41 Action News first told you about the family on Thursday, shortly after the Christmas decorations in the front yard of their home on 84th Terrace were stolen.
After our story aired, people donated 12 inflatables to Chad Tucker and his family so they could rebuild their display. On Sunday night he invited members of the community over to see the lighting of the new decorations.
"It's really pretty," nine-year-old Amber Tucker said of the display her dad assembled.
The yard is once again filled with more than a dozen inflatables and tons of lights. It's a sight that has become a holiday tradition for all who live nearby.
"It was the house that everybody knew," neighbor Tisha Garland said.
Garland's 10-year-old daughter spotted the sign earlier this week in the Tuckers' front yard letting everyone know their decorations were stolen. Like a cyber Santa, Garland got to work posting online and starting aGofundme page to replace the display.
"We watch everybody's backs," Garland said of her neighborhood.
Between the generous decoration donations, holiday treats dropped off and kind words shared, the Tuckers now know just how much their Christmas tradition means to everyone.
"I like it now that I know that it's really special to them," Amber said.
It's a story of one family and one community reminding us all of the true meaning of Christmas.
"People reaching out and helping one another. That's what Christmas is all about. It's a prime example right here of one little thing bad turned into a great thing for the community here," Chad Tucker said.
Aside from the new inflatables, there's another addition to the Tucker Christmas display. They've installed 12 security cameras to keep an eye on the decorations.
