ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — After a tornado destroyed a small West Michigan business last year, the owners were not sure if they would ever be able to reopen.

But the generosity of a customer will soon make that dream possible at a new location in Algoma Township, south of Cedar Springs.

On Aug. 24, Tracie Lampe learned that the Backyard Fun Zone she ran with her husband in Alpine Township had been leveled.

“Everything was pretty much gone except for one corner of the building,” Lampe said.

EF1 tornado leaves trail of damage near Grand Rapids

The devastation from an EF1 tornado left the local business stunned.

“When he did drive by, he called me and said our forklift is outside and that our building is gone,” Lampe said.

The business sells playsets, trampolines and basketball hoops.

Fully stocked earlier that day with a new shipment, the inventory was ripped apart and scattered.

“We were getting calls that people had our blank invoices seven miles away,” Lampe said.

The insurance coverage they had would only cover what was on display, not the inventory.

“I’ve never had that feeling before,” Lampe said. “It was gone. What are you going to do.”

As they wondered whether the business was done for good, something happened that they never could have expected.

“We have a customer from 2017. He had bought a trampoline and every year we put it up and take it down. He had happened to call that Friday,” Lampe said.

After speaking with them, the customer wanted to come see what was left.

“He saw the devastation, and, you know, he’s asking me some questions, like what do we owe our vendors,” Lampe said.

They told him what they were planning to do with the business and how the tornado left them uncertain about its future.

“This customer takes us to lunch, and he says that he’s going to gift us $50,000 to help us get through this because we were good people and he just felt like he needed to help us,” Lampe said. “And we were just speechless.”

The business is preparing to open at its new location on April 2 with an indoor showroom in Algoma Township, located at 12201 Northland Dr. near Russell Court. The location will be open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be closed on Sunday and Monday.

The customer who gave a business a second life after its worst day wants to remain anonymous, but what he did is something the Lampe family will never forget.

“I’m thankful for him every day that he helped us get through this,” Lampe said.

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