MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Hundreds of needy South Floridians were disappointed to learn Friday that a truck loaded with Christmas turkeys to be donated by boxing promoter Don King had been hijacked.

Don King’s spokesman Robert Weneck said the truck full of 2,000 turkeys bound for South Florida went missing over night. The truck was found abandoned near Pompano Beach sometime Friday morning, according to Weneck.

While the turkeys were still inside, the fowl had to be discarded because nobody was sure whether they’d been temperature-controlled and safe to eat.

“I just hope everything gets better for us,” said Dorothy Clay from Deerfield Beach, who was supposed to receive a turkey. “It’s very hard,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye, “it’s very hard.”

Don King, a resident of Delray Beach, has been giving away turkeys at Christmas time for years. But unfortunately, hundreds of people in West Palm Beach, Deerfield Beach and Miami came away empty-handed this year.

“They tell me that the truck has been hijacked,” said King, “and that we ain’t got no turkeys to give, so we’ve got to figure out a plan “b” of when we can get a truck.”

There is some good news however. Weneck said a date to replace the turkeys will be determined on Monday.