Mystery Santa Pays Off $106,000 In Layaway Items At Ohio Walmarts

A mystery "Santa" has paid over $106,000 in Walmart shoppers layaways in two stores in Ohio, according to CBS News. Walmart officials said the gentleman insisted on remaining anonymous and that he liked to do something special on his birthday each year.

"I thought somebody was playing me, I thought it was a scam. I'm like, 'let me call up here' and I asked to speak to one of the managers, and they said, 'No it's not a scam, it's for real,'" said one of the recipient shoppers.

The Steelyard Commons store in Cleveland was his first stop, where the mystery man paid off nearly $70 thousand worth of layaway items before heading to the Lorain location and paying an additional $36 thousand for items.

"[The customers] feel very blessed that someone has come in and done this," Beverly Vargo, Walmart's Lorain location store manager said. "Most of them have multiple children, so it's giving them money to take care of other things."

Another recipient, mother of four, Tara Neal was ecstatic to hear the news. So far she had only been able to put down $10 for her 3-year-old daughter's new "Frozen" bed, according to ABC News. When she heard the news on Tuesday that the remaining balance of more than $80 was paid, the relieved, joyous mother said it was "like Santa."

"This is probably the best Christmas I've ever had, I'm just super happy," said Neal. "The look on her face when she sees it on Christmas is going to be incredible."

Pennsylvania and Florida "secret" Santas have also been busy, paying off layaways at local Walmart stores there as well, according to USA Today. With $180 thousand in Pennsylvania and $200 thousand in Florida paid off, this brings the total to a cumulative half a million dollars of paid off layaways in the three states.

Tags
Walmart, Santa, Cleveland, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Frozen
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