VANCOUVER -- Mounties say gift cards worth thousands of dollars were stolen in an early morning break-in at a Maple Ridge Christmas hamper charity.

Police were called to the Albion Fairgrounds around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a break in on the property.

Mounties say a large safe with gift cards worth about $10,000 in total was stolen from inside the building.

The investigation is in its early stages, but police believe a black pickup truck might be involved since one was seen speeding away from the area around the time of the break-in.

"We want to catch the criminals responsible for this despicable act and are hoping the public can help," Const. Julie Klaussner said in a statement.

Anyone with dash-cam video or who was out in the area around the time of the theft is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.