Gordon Gives Donates $5,000 to Sylvia’s Toys for Christmas
Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Despite hundreds of leads flooding into Gordon McKernan’s Grinch Stoppers Hotline, the 20-foot-tall inflatable Santa displayed annually at the Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys office off I-10 in Baton Rouge was not found. The 10-foot-tall inflatable Santa that was later stolen from the Gonzales office also remains lost. Since no tip led to the whereabouts of either Santa, McKernan will donate the $5,000 reward through his Gordon Gives Foundation to the Baton Rouge-based charity Sylvia’s Toys for Christmas which provided 6,000 toys to area children last Christmas. The law firm will also be providing gifts to citizens who provided legitimate leads.
The Santa, which is displayed alongside many other holiday inflatables each year at McKernan’s offices, was stolen around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. Security footage revealed that the perpetrator accessed the property from the interstate. From there, the person deflated the Santa and shoved it in a trashcan along with the motor and some garland. The trashcan was then picked up by a vehicle on the interstate. Identifying attributes of the person(s) and vehicle were unable to be distinguished on the late-night security footage.
Within a couple of days, McKernan offered a $2,000 reward which was later increased to $3,000 and, finally, $5,000. Coverage from various news organizations and McKernan’s own social media and television ads led to a flood of tips and questions as to whether the Santa was really stolen despite the police reports on file.
“It’s unfortunate that someone stole Santa,” Gordon said, “But we figured we could create some fun buzz about it. We really hope the community enjoyed the mystery. Some users even sent in videos of themselves doing detective work with their kids.”
Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys is located at 5656 Hilton Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, and has additional offices in Alexandria, Denham Springs, Gonzales, Hammond, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Monroe, Shreveport, and Zachary. For additional questions, call (225) 888-8888.
