A Mishawaka garden was vandalized last week and police are continuing to search for the person or people responsible.

Battell Park is where the incident took place. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the community will not be uprooted.

"It looks like stuff was pulled right out of the ground, said Jake Crawford, landscape manager for the city of Mishawaka.

"I suspect that it was probably just vandalism, kind of the way we saw stuff floating in the water, I don't think an animal or anything else did that," he continued.

But these aren't just any planted flowers. It's a 20-year-long tradition, deeply rooted in Mishawaka’s Beiger Elementary School.

It began nearly 20 years ago by a former teacher there. Nothing of this caliber has ever happened until last week.

"Certainly some of the kids were discouraged to know that their work had been vandalized,” said Dan Towner, principal at Beiger.

With the help of a Facebook post from Mishawaka Parks and Recreation, a donation from Martin's Greenhouse helped curb the hurt felt by so many in the community.

Several volunteers helped replant the damaged garden this morning and principal Towner credits the community for implanting the benefits of working together.

"It’s such a critical skill to teach students that they need to help out in their community, he said.

Park officials urge anyone with information about the crime to call the parks department at 574-258-1664 or the Mishawaka Police Department at 574-258-1678.