1:03 PM
There was only one person who could save the holiday cheer of a Philadelphia couple when their Christmas wreath was stolen. Someone with a long white beard, red hat, and orange fur has a lot of fun.
The story is about how the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyer saved Christmas. Only Gritty could.
After moving in together in South Philly, Dan Jackson and Tim Popp became a true pandemic love story. Jackson is more of a die-hard fan of the Flyers. He's the more creative of the two when it comes to holiday decor, having created a Gritty ornament two Christmases ago and then a Gritty wreath for their front door this year.
Popp was concerned when he saw the wreath with bright orange eyes and a Santa hat. He said that it was going to be stolen.
Jackson made it on Saturday. It was on their door for a week. Popp took their dog Franklin for a walk at 7 a.m. the next day. It was gone by the time Jackson left for work.
The couple is in a group called South Silly that is populated by their neighbors. Jackson wrote a message in the group that let the neighborhood know that someone had taken their wreath. He wrote that he had a homemade wreath on his door, but now it seems to be missing.
A Philadelphia reporter made a picture of the post and put it on the internet, declaring that only in Philadelphia would something like this happen. The case of the stolen Gritty wreath is in your hands now. Don't let me down.
Jackson and Popp got messages from Gritty. "All of the language was in first-person," said Popp, who said that they were invited to the game by Gritty.
The game was postponed because of the NHL's COVID-19 outbreak. Popp invited Gritty to hang out in South Philly. "I'd love to make that happen," said Gritty.
There was a knock at the door on Wednesday. Jackson and Popp were expecting someone from the marketing department to deliver tickets. Instead, there was Gritty, dressed as Santa Claus, who was in front of a hastily constructed replacement wreath Jackson made after his masterpiece was stolen.
They got an autograph photo with an inscription on it. Jackson and Popp gave the mascot some orange flowers and a homemade ornament. The gift exchange didn't stop there, as Gritty went back to the van he arrived in and pulled out a 6-foot- tall wreath with a bow, two googly eyes and a mouth.
A replacement for a wreath that was stolen.
Popp said it's perfect, because it's so thoughtful but also outside the scope of reality. We can't put this on our door.
Here's the whole story!
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Tim Popp, Six, Squish, Uh...
The wreath was supposed to be given to them at the game. Popp said that they would have had to drag a 6-foot wreath out of the stadium.
The deck off their second floor is where the new wreath hangs. Jackson and Popp will still get their tickets from the team, and a local radio station said there could be more. The most important thing to Popp has been the reaction from his friends and neighbors.
I think I've seen a lot less people. A lot of my friends have been texting and I keep running into people on the street who want to hear the story. The comments have been very kind.
Did Gritty save Christmas?
Popp said it had been a hard year. I work in children's education. Dan has been on the front lines at the grocery store. It's been a lot of stress for all of us. The holiday spirit is brought to our home by decorating. This is a year where we are unsure if we can be around our family and do things we want to do. This whole thing has taken us by surprise and we'll talk about it for a long time.
