MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – At a fundraising event for Jimmie Van Zant’s cancer charity in Middleburg, memorabilia was supposed to be sold. But a trailer full of items was stolen Friday.
The organizer of the event said they still haven’t found the trailer, but that doesn’t mean items weren’t being auctioned off.
Many spent their Saturday night at Southern Social Whiskey Bar and Lounge in Middleburg for the charity event.
Jimmie Van Zant died in 2016 of liver cancer. He was the cousin of Ronnie Van Zant, lead signer and founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Organizers were going to auction off some Skynyrd memorabilia at the event.
Joey Willut, one of the organizers, said a white trailer was stolen from the Today’s Inn in Orange Park on Friday.
“We have guitars that are signed by a lot of the band members. A lot of them aren’t even alive anymore,” Willut said. “It’s stuff that can’t be replaced.”
“If you have a conscience, bring our stuff back to Joey. To everybody that did this, it meant so much to us,” said Jane Van Zant, Jimmie Van Zant’s sister.
She said that memorabilia was a piece of Jimmie Van Zant that she had left.
“It breaks my heart that someone would be so low to do something like that,” Jane Van Zant said.
Though items were stolen, members from the community brought in items, like liquor, cowboy hats and books, to be auctioned off instead.
People were also charged a $20 cover, which went to the fundraising efforts, and they collected donations throughout the night.
Anyone who has seen the trailer or knows anything is asked to call police.