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The iconic sunburst chair on the UW-Madison Union terrace is so popular, people are walking off with them.

The union lost about 250 chairs to theft last year, which amounts to about $60,000 worth of the brightly colored metal chairs that students, alumni, tourists and others can't seem to keep their hands off.

Union staff and the UW-Madison Police Department are trying to come up with new ways to deter chair thefts, but if they aren't chained down, it might be a difficult task.

"An overnight security guard was added to the terrace in 2013 to help reduce thefts, but some chairs are still being stolen," said police spokesman Marc Lovicott in a news release.

Stealing a sunburst chair could be costly, with fines up to $500 if you're caught sitting on one that's not on the Union terrace.

The Union sells red or white sunburst chairs on its website for $335 each.

"We're asking community members to be our extra eyes and ears on and around campus," Lovicott said. "If you see a green, orange or yellow Union chair, please contact the Union."

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