SOUTH POINT - The old saying “ no good deed goes unpunished” has grim meaning for two South Point men who had an idea to help aspiring artists, but whose nearly-new organization fell victim to thieves last week.

The M-Pax projects studio was broken into Thursday evening. M-Pax is the brainchild of Jackie Hale, who set up the audio-visual studio to allow young people in the area a place to explore their creativity– for free.

The thieves made off with microphones, a flat screen television, music condensers, guitars and other electronic and music equipment.

They even stole the Christmas presents Hale had purchased for his seven-year-old son, Bryson.

“This is something we put here to detour kids from doing this,” Hale’s partner, Brad Bick explained.

“We built this two years ago and we were trying to make it into something and they came in and in one night tore up everything it took us two years to do,” Hale added.

But more than the equipment that was taken, Hale and Bick are upset that area young people who had planned to use the studio now can’t finish their projects.

They said one South Point High School student had used their studio to re-do the school fight song. Another was considering making a horror film.

A Boyd County, Ky., student had discussed making a documentary at one time.

Hale said the equipment was purchased with his own funds and was not insured, meaning he is reliant on local authorities and their efforts to recover the stolen goods. He said some of it may have been pawned at shops in Kentucky.

Hale and Bick would like anyone with information about the break-in to contact authorities so his equipment can be recovered.

In the future, they would like to see this organization become a full-fledged non-profit venture funded by grants and able to continue helping young people explore the arts and electronic media.

They said it is their contribution to the community.

“This area has so much talent. But the brightest minds are leaving the area and we can’t let it continue to happen,” Hale said. “Then all we have left are thieves and thugs and dope dealers.”