Victorian Cafe owner Bryanne Tucy was devastated late last month after she discovered a giant jar filled with donations for prostate cancer research was stolen off of the counter of the Onset coffee shop.

"I was so worked up," Tucy said. "My father's a prostate cancer survivor."

Tucy was helping a local resident in his "Movember" efforts, a national event held in November during which men grow their mustaches and raise money for men's health issues.

"It was frustrating," said Tucy, still visibly upset days after the incident. "We had the jar to raise money and now it's gone!"

It's unclear how much cash was in the jar, but Tucy noted that it was "a good amount."

Upon hearing the news, Onset Fire Deputy Jeffrey Osswald, a "regular" at the cafe, had an idea.

Instead of lamenting the stolen money, the Victorian Cafe and the fire department's nonprofit Box 5 Association could team up for a big holiday fundraiser.

Tucy's father, Brock, would park his antique Onset fire truck outside the cafe and volunteers would accept donations of nonperishable food, unwrapped new toys, and cash for a different charity on each of the three Saturdays before Christmas Eve.

"It's a multifaceted collection," said Osswald, a member of the Box 5 Association, which has provided assistance to the community through various avenues since the 1950s.

The fundraiser, affectionately named "Stuff a Fire Truck," kicked off in conjunction with the Onset Bay Association's Christmas in the Parks event on December 3.

More than $150 was raised on that day -- all of it for men's health issues, to replace the money stolen off the cafe's counter.

The idea, Tucy and Osswald said, was to make lemonade out of that very big lemon.

And they did. In addition to the cash, the volunteers collected several bags of food and 42 toys, which will be donated to the Dick Melloni Youth Foundation's annual holiday toy drive.

But they're not done yet.la

"We're going to keep it going," Tucy said with a smile.

The fire truck will be back on West Central Avenue in Onset on Saturday, December 10 and Saturday, December 17 for encores. Donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Box 5 Association has other events in the works through the end of this year and into 2012, said Onset firefighter and Box 5 Association vice-president Jeff Dias.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," Dias said.

The association will be passing out holiday food baskets to residents in need later this month and the always entertaining Polar Bear Dive, during which brave souls take a dip into the chilly waters of Onset Beach, will take place on New Year's Day.