Secret Santa pays off $50,000 in layaway balances at Virginia Walmart Supercenter

by: Tyler Thrasher and Nexstar Media Wire

Posted: Dec 16, 2020 / 06:53 AM AST

Updated: Dec 16, 2020 / 06:53 AM AST

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Christmas came early this year for about 100 customers who had layaways at a Walmart Supercenter in Henrico County, Virginia.

An anonymous ‘Secret Santa’ on Saturday donated money for customers paying off their layaway items.

Walmart representatives said that the anonymous customer paid off the remaining store balances of $50,000, covering layaways for about 100 people.

An anonymous ‘Secret Santa’ generously paid off $50k in layaway items at a Henrico @Walmart — clearing the store’s total for around 100 people’s Christmas gifts. 🎅🏼🎄

One of those lucky customers told me she was stunned and began to cry when she saw her $0 balance owed. @8NEWS pic.twitter.com/xX6uHuSo2p
— Tyler Thrasher (@TylerJThrasher) December 15, 2020

One of those customers, Felicia McKay, went to Walmart on Saturday to pick up Christmas gifts for her grandkids who range in age from 11 months to 11 years old.

“I went to the store to pick up a layaway for my grandchildren. When I got back to the layaway department, the Walmart associate told me that a secret Santa paid off my layaway,” McKay said. “I thought he was joking. He was like, ‘No ma’am. He paid off like $50,000 of random layaways.'”

Having trouble containing her excitement, McKay quickly thought of the person responsible for her $130 payment.

“I was just stunned,” McKay said. “After I got myself together, I was like, ‘Someone needs to report this to the news. Even if he doesn’t want recognition, he needs to know that somebody is appreciative of what he’s done.'”

Then she quickly became thrilled again.

“I was overjoyed. I got to shouting and crying. I was just really thankful. You just never think that would happen to you. It was a blessing. It was a real blessing.”

McKay says after a year like 2020, it is important to remember the good in humanity, and acts of kindness like this highlight the need for positivity.

“It is refreshing to hear something good and let people know that there are still good people out there,” McKay said. “No matter what we are going through, there are still good people out there that are doing what it takes to be a blessing.”