If she had one thing to say to Secret Santa beside thank you: “I appreciate what all you’ve done for the families.”
Jessica said she and her husband would be going to the store on Saturday to pick up toys and other gifts they had put on layaway. Their total of $849 was part of the $16,000 layaway tab picked up by the Secret Santa earlier today.
The gifts include a TV and a PlayStation 4 for her boys, she said.
Jessica said her boys aren’t aware of the family’s connection with the secretive Saint Nick.
“They’ll be happy,” she said.
UPDATE @ 6:30 p.m.:
The Secret Santa who ponied up $16,000 to pay off layaways at the Franklin Walmart will help 47 families this holiday season, assistant manager Paula Sands said.
He called the store this week to announce his intentions, she said. “He didn’t want anyone to know,” she said, noting mysterious Jolly Old Elf is from the Franklin area.
Sands said they made arrangements for him to bring her the money and her mission as a deputized worker in this Secret Santa Workshop was to bring out toys, bikes and other gifts to “make Christmas special for some people that needed it.”
She said he gave her the names of four people that he knew really needed it, that he knew had layaways at the store.
“It’s nice that people are able to do those kind of things,” Sands said. “It’s really amazing.”
One of the recipients was to come in later today or Saturday, she said.
Sands said the generosity says a lot about the community.
“It’s nice that someone in the community wants to help the families in the Franklin area,” she said.
FIRST REPORT
Store officials at the Franklin Walmart confirmed they had a Secret Santa pay off $16,000 worth of layaways at the store this afternoon.
According to a manager, the unidentified man paid of the purchases sometime between 1 to 2 p.m.
We’re working to learn more about this developing story and will update this story with any new information.
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