With the holiday season here, if drivers are caught speeding in Marathon, Florida, they might get a visit from the Grinch.

In a video posted on the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, officials explained that they'll be working with the Florida Highway Patrol to "spread the word about traffic safety in the school zone and beyond."

"We want everyone to arrive alive and get home safely to their families," the sheriff's deputy said.

Typically if you are stopped speeding, drivers can receive a warning or a ticket.

But for Col. Lou Caputo, he wanted to do something different that would bring awareness about slowing down in school zones: giving drivers onions, the sheriff's office told EW Scripps.

Captuto came up with the idea more than 20 years ago to dress up as the fictional Dr. Seuss character by giving onions to unsuspected drivers, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office told EW Scripps that if a driver is stopped from going above the listed school zone's speed limit by about 5 mph or less, they have the option to receive traffic citations or have the Grinch give them an onion.

The sheriff's office said drivers typically choose the onion over receiving a citation, but there are some who have eaten it in front of Caputo.

Drivers could be issued a heavier-fined ticket if they are traveling more than five over, the sheriff's office said.

While some were shopping for their Christmas gifts this year, others were stealing.

In fact, you could say this is the story of a real-life Grinch.

Les Fetrow and his wife, Margaret, have been making handmade wooden toys for nearly 20 years.

Their creations are sturdily constructed, beautifully crafted and some of them are even signed.

But what remains in their Wasilla, Alaska, workshop is just a tiny fraction of their inventory. Most of it was stolen last weekend.

"That darn Grinch stole our Christmas," Margaret said.

The couple had finished their sales at a craft fair in Anchorage. They packed everything up into a rented U-Haul and stayed overnight in an Anchorage hotel.

"Monday morning when I got up to go out there and get the truck started... that's when I discovered it was gone, just like that," Les said.

About $17,000 worth of toys were stolen, and that doesn't include the tools or display items that were taken as well. Sadly, it's put an early end to the Fetrow's craft fair season.

"They like our toys, and they want us to be there. But we can't," Margaret said.

The couple says it could be a year or even two before they can replace all their toys.

They have a plea for the person who took their truck.

"Please bring them back, it's our livelihood," Margaret said.

They say the loss isn't their's alone. On Christmas morning, there will be lots of children who are missing out on the toys as well.

The Fetrows say all they want is to get their toys and their tools back, and they're hoping the police will come up with some leads.

But they are also asking people to keep their eyes open in case any of their prized toys turn up for sale.