A theft after the annual Halloween parade is costing a Cedar Rapids business owner $20,000.

The Terry Durin Company started the parade three years ago and the owner, Peter Durin, is worried that financial loss will make it hard to host the parade again.

Thieves took four golf carts. Volunteers used the carts during the parade to check on floats and crowds. Afterward, they parked the carts at the NewBo City Market parking lot.

In spite of the incident, Durin still thinks the parade, in its third year, was a success, but he's disappointed with what happened after a night of festivities. Surveillance video shows someone surrounding the golf carts.

"They start about 10 o'clock and then they hotwire them,” Durin said. “They tore the back off where people sit. The frames where the roof is was completely tore.”

Durin filed a police report right away. Officers found one of the carts partially submerged in the Cedar River, near the Linn County Solid Waste Agency. Two others have serious damage.

Police said they found the fourth and final cart at 12:40 p.m. on Oct. 29 behind Wilson Schoool. It appeared to be in running condition and was not severely damaged. It was returned to Durin.

"To take them for a joy ride I get that," Durin said. "But for them to do a malicious crash and smash and destroy them, it's really hard man."

Part of the parade raises money for the Mission of Hope Shelter in Cedar Rapids. Durin doesn't understand why someone would ruin such an event.

“So at this point, I'm posting a $500 reward for any names,” Durin said. “Bottom line is I'm doing whatever I can to pull this together. I want to have a fourth annual parade."

He'll need answers to who stole the carts, or to raise enough money to cover the financial loss, to resume a tradition he looks forward to each year. Durin

to help with the latter effort.

"When I drive down the road and I see all the kids and the lineup and the energy, that what makes it,” Durin said.