Owner of iconic Hyde Park hot dog truck gets help from community after explosion and hospitalization
"I'm so grateful for everybody's support, everybody's love and support," Lynne Alessi said over the phone from her hospital room Friday at Vassar Brothers Hospital.
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A beloved hot dog truck that has served Dutchess County for decades exploded last weekend, ruining the engine and sending its owner to the hospital.
This is, by no means, the end for Carole's Hot Dogs, not if its loyal customers have anything to say about it.
"I'm so grateful for everybody's support, everybody's love and support," Lynne Alessi said over the phone from her hospital room Friday at Vassar Brothers Hospital.
Hyde Park residents and business are lifting up Alessi, owner of Carole's Hot Dogs, which was started by her parents in 1988 and named for her mother.
Alessi was about to take the truck to her usual spot on St. Andrew's Road last Friday morning when the started malfunctioned.
"It started to smoke like it was overheating. I immediately went to shut it off," she said, "and I couldn't turn the key."
"That's when it exploded," said neighbor Betty Coffey. "Like a poof!"
Coffey comforted Alessi afterward.
She said Alessi's family has always been there for her when she faced a life challenge.
"I've said to her, now that she's in the hospital, 'Anything I can do for you, let me know,'" Coffey said. "She's just a good person."
While Alessi recovers from heart and lung issues made worse by the smoke, her support system is taking over.
Her friends, family, local businesses, the police department and others are promoting online fundraisers to help with the purchase of a new truck.
Salon owner — and Alessi's childhood friend — Jessica Awad is leading the outreach.
She has taken the lead raising funds and sharing Alessi's story with other businesses to drum up more assistance.
"I knew that the community would want to support her, so I said, 'You know what, I'm going to help her,'" Awad said. "To Lynne I said, 'We're going to help you. We're going to get through this.'"
Alessi is not exactly sure how she will get the business rolling again; she just knows she will.
She was more hopeful Friday morning, a week removed from the fire.
"At some point when you get sick a little bit, you start to think 'Maybe you should take a break,' you know?," Alessi said. "But no — I'm coming back."
