CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — Two real-life Grinches are accused of stealing Christmas spirit from a Clovis car dealership when one of the owners says they walked away with two boxes of toys that were supposed to go to charity.<\/p>\n
For more than a decade, Hedricks Chevrolet<\/a> in Clovis has served as the Toys for Tots<\/a> hub for local charities.<\/p>\n Collecting and distributing thousands of toys to families in need during the Christmas season each year.<\/p>\n But on Monday, the unexpected happened: one co-owner told Action News that two people entered the lobby, claiming they were volunteers picking up toys.<\/p>\n “So basically, we got tricked. And so that was unfortunate. The fortunate thing was they only got two boxes. So Toys for Tots will recover from that, and we’re going to help them out,” explains Brett Hedrick, Co-owner of Hedrick’s Chevrolet.<\/p>\n We asked Brett, “Why do you think they did that?” He expressed, “I think desperate times come for desperate measures. You know, maybe they really needed them. I’m hoping that was the reason.”<\/p>\n Brett says the joy and community support during the toy drive outweigh the bad.<\/p>\n The non-profit sees hundreds of organizations and individuals volunteering each year.<\/p>\n Greg Gomez is one of them; he calls the situation heartbreaking, but like the dealership, he is focused on the positive.<\/p>\n “It’s nice to help, it’s humbling, and volunteer work is always fun. We love it,” expresses Greg.<\/p>\n He continues, “Seeing the kids light up is amazing, so any toy helps tremendously for sure.”<\/p>\n Employees and volunteers now have a code word when picking up donations.<\/p>\n It’s a helpful security measure.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Hedricks Chevrolet says it is dedicated to serving the community this holiday season.<\/p>\n Keeping the spirit of Christmas alive, one donation at a time.<\/p>\n “We’ve always felt that it’s huge. The reason that Toys for Tots picked us is that we’re very visible. We’re easy to get to, right here at Shaw and HWY. 168. People can just come right up either drop off toys or pick up their box and drop their boxes back when they’re full,” explains Brett.<\/p>\n If you would like to donate, Toys for Tots<\/a> is accepting new and unwrapped toys.<\/p>\n People are encouraged to have donations turned in by December 17th.<\/p>\n For South Valley news updates, follow Kassandra Gutierrez on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n