The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insidehalton.com |OAKVILLE BEAVER |Thursday, December 14, 2017 |4 Com m unityrallies after Christmas inflatables slashed continued from p.1 Christmas train, Santa Claus, and 14-foot tall Nut cracker. "We do it for our daughter and we do it for our neighbourhood because it brings such joy to all the little kids who walk by every morning," said Jovanovic. "People also stop by and take their picture with them." Jovanovic said it became a fun ritual every morning for her daughter to go outside, hit the inflate button and watch the Christmas characters come to life. On Sunday, Dec. 3, however, the young girl went outside only to return moments later and inform her mother something was wrong. Jovanovic soon discovered that every single in flatable had been slashed, apparently with a knife. "I cried," saidJovanovic. "I was devastated, I was utterly gutted. I thought about all the work I had put into maintaining them and the cost. I thought about how disappointed the kids would be. It just seemed like such a cruel and senseless thing to do." She said the inflatables had cost her around $1,200. Word about the vandalism spread and soon a friend directed Jovanovic to an online chat group called Oakville Mommies where she found what she called a "groundswell of neighbourhood sup port." She said the site was filled with posts from moth ers in the surrounding area who were upset about Steve Brown and Maja Jovanovic with their daughter Ryo, 5, are surrounded by new Christmas inflatables, thanks to the generosity of their neighbours. Inset photo, by Maja Jova novic, shows the Santa inflatable slashed by vandals Dec. 3. | Graham Paine/Metroland what had happened and who said the inflatables had really meant something to their children. Jovanovic said the messages of support restored her shaken faith in humanity and the community. More support came when a friend spoke to the general manager of the Canadian Tire on Dorval Drive, informing him of what had happened. The manager was familiar with Jovanovic' s dis play and convincing Canadian Tire to donate an inflatable to her. He purchased a second inflatable for her himself. Over the next few days Jovanovic said she came home to find new inflatables on her lawn with notes from residents who enjoyed the old display and wanted to contribute to bringing it back. Ultimately nine inflatables were donated to the display with Jovanovic purchasing four more. She and a neighbour also succeeded in patching up three of the damaged ones while a Good Samar itan repaired two others. "It was all so heartwarming," she said. "It lifted my spirits, it lifted m y family' s spirits and those of everyone around us. Everyone just came together as a community; It was community helping community and neighbour helping neigh bour. It was just a phenomenal and heartwarming experience." Jovanovic will officially re-launch the inflatable display on Saturday, Dec. 9. Halton police are investigating the act of vandal ism. Jovanovic said she is not taking any chances with the new inflatables and has installed surveil lance equipment. O O w lle In v ite y o u t^ z n d o u t wAw< / C a l l t o d a y f o r y o u r p e r s o n a l t o u r . W e 'd l o v e t o h a v e y o u j o i n u s ! D isco ve r Y our Choices o M m r ie te 380 Sherin Drive, O akville, Ontario (905) 847-1413 www.vistamere.ca R e tire m e n t L iv in g A t Its Best