John Levardi is a lot of things, but shy is not one of them. The owner of Krispy Kone Soft Serve in Lanesboro, is loud, outgoing and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is kind of guy who would give you the shirt of his back and the last penny out of pocket, so it's no surprise that on a recent trip to the Boston area for his granddaughter's softball tournament, John ended up touching some lives effected by the recent explosions and fires in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover.

A Face Book post caught my eye last week which featured a picture of John barbecuing  out of the back of his pick up truck in what appeared to be a dark parking lot, and I needed to know that back story. I knew John would shy away from any recognition of what a great thing he was doing, so I reached out to Sam Patricelli, mother of his granddaughter and she gave me the scoop.

The weekend following the gas line explosions which displaced thousands of people from their homes, John and his family happened to be in the near by town of Chelmsford for his granddaughter Gionnah's softball tournament.  When they got to their hotel to check in, the hotel was completely booked, packed with guests.  They discovered that it was filled with people who had been displaced from their homes from explosions and fires, or as a precautionary measure.

That was all John needed to hear. He pulled out the portable grill he brings to all Gionnah's games, fired it up and started cooking.  According to Sam, John always brings an abundance of food to games, more than enough for his family and team member's families, but he was happy to serve it up to give those displaced folks a little comfort. Other parents of the Berkshire Force 10U softball team donated food as well and everyone made a point to invite locals to eat and enjoy some time after what was surely a stressful and scary few days. It was a simple act, but something that was appreciated by all.

In a world filled with bad news, it's great to see that good people like John still exist. People helping people, small, simple acts of kindness. We're lucky to have a guy like John right here in The Berkshires.

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