NEW ALBANY, Ind. — A New Albany small business owner was all set and stoked for a new beginning that was set to open in a few weeks until someone stole a key piece to his business, a meat smoker.
"Everything just started flooding. How am I going to open up? How am I going to do this? How am I going to do that...It’s over. I’m my mind, it’s over" LaFond "BBQ Boss" Wright said.
When Wright got the opportunity to start BBQing at Roadhouse he brought his smoker to its new home.
"Everybody that knows me knows that smoker is an extension of my arm. It was just really heartbreaking,” Wright said.
Wright chained the smoker to a bulldozer and even the chain was stolen. The smoker is a special competition smoker and sentimental and crucial to Wright being able to open his business.
After a few days to marinate on his misfortune Wright is currently cooking up compassion for whoever served him this raw deal.
"I forgive you. To harbor any kind of hate like that is not godly. I just pray that he finds whatever peace, to help him out financially, or anything... I forgive him” Wright said.
The community reacted and stepped up to loan him a smoker to open his business.
"The support and the love I’ve been shown, that made me... It revived me. It revived my sense in humanity and my fight to open this business to the community. The boss is back. I’m going to open up on time," Wright said.
Wright still plans on opening his business on Dec. 15 as originally planned.
He hopes whoever stole his smoker will return it before his business opens.
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