The town of Shenandoah, Va., is holding its breath that their Christmas decorations will survive.

After the town’s beautification committee spent last weekend putting wreaths and garlands on signs and other municipal spots, they found they had been stolen before anyone could see them Monday morning.

The decorators had reason to be wary because last year someone stole the town’s Christmas tree from a park.

“We had worked from 10 a.m. on Saturday, and we worked hard,” Amenda Wood, the secretary of Shenandoah Beautification Committee, said. “It was just such a disappointment to find out that someone could be that cruel.”

The committee never caught last year’s thief, but the town hardware store donated another tree. This year the committee again received offers to replace the stolen wreaths and garlands.  Greg Garr, the owner of Garden Spot in Elkton, Va., told the committee they could come by his store and pick out new wreaths to replace the ones that had been stolen.

“Those ladies work really really hard for what they do; they volunteer and put all their time into it,” Garr said.

But Wood was hesitant to accept the donations because the decorations could be stolen again.

“When we were up at the Spot I told him [Garr], ‘We don’t need any pretty wreath, because I’m afraid it will get stolen again,’ but he said, ‘No you’ve got to get the prettiest one,’” Wood recalled.

The committee has since redecorated, although Garr hopes the perpetrators will come forward and return the original wreaths and garland.

“In true Christmas spirit let them feel a little bit guilty and return the items they took,” Garr said. “Hopefully they’ll see it on the air and say, ‘I shouldn’t have done that. That’s a little bit over the limit.’”