A pavilion at Winnipeg’s upcoming Folklorama is seeking help after cultural garments were stolen from an employee’s car overnight on Wednesday, just days before the festival is set to begin, its organizers say.
The Ghana pavilion is scheduled to be available during the first week of festivities, from Aug. 2 to 8, and organizers said in a social media post Thursday that the show will go on despite the thefts.
“The vehicle of one of the pavilion’s dance coordinators was broken into and all the youth cultural dance attire for this year’s performances were stolen,” the post reads, adding the clothes were in black storage bins with yellow lids.
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Items taken from the vehicle include 25 jerseys for Ghana’s national soccer team, the Ghana Black Stars; 40 sets consisting of tops, skirts and Ghanaian tunics for the Makola Market dance; 10 sets of cultural attire for the children’s dance and 25 sets of orange and brown cultural attire for the youth dance, it says.
“Although this theft has created a significant challenge, we remain committed to sharing Ghana’s vibrant culture, music, dance, and traditions with Winnipeg,” said Abigail Larson, the pavilion’s co-ordinator, in the social media statement.
“Our performers have worked too hard to be discouraged. No matter the circumstances, our show will go on.”
Folklorama and the Ghana pavilion’s joint post says that it “remains determined to open on schedule” and asked for donations of fabric and sewers, soccer jerseys and shorts, or cash to purchase replacements.
In an email to Global News, the Winnipeg Police Service confirmed it received a report of the overnight theft from a vehicle at a home and said the property crime unit is following up.
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