Recycling collectors make family's day by replacing stolen pumpkin

A Calgary mom and daughter say their day was brightened by two strangers' act of kindness after a pumpkin the family had been growing all summer was stolen from their garden.

Krista MacDonald and her four-year-old daughter Harper had lovingly watered the plant for months, waiting for it to turn from green to orange.

"We went on vacation and came home and our pumpkin was gone," MacDonald said. "People have been picking our zucchini all summer and we have tons of those, so I didn't mind. But we had one pumpkin. So it was pretty sad."

The mom and daughter had planned to carve the pumpkin into a jack-o'-lantern for Halloween.

MacDonald posted a strongly worded sign to her fence, calling out the thief.

"I hope it makes you happy to steal joy from a child," she wrote.

As for the rest of the sign, MacDonald said, "I probably can't repeat it on camera."

On Friday, she heard a knock on the door.

It was two City of Calgary employees, who had collected recycling from the street on Tuesday — that's when they spotted the sign — and they had two pumpkins for the little girl and her mom.

"Maybe put them back in the box and throw some dirt on it and tell a little story of your own! Sorry you had to deal with bad people at that time, but there's some kind ones left," a note accompanying the gift read.

MacDonald said she was touched by the strangers' actions. 

"I'm just happy people still look out for strangers."