A Christmas miracle: Generous stranger pays off $20,000 of customers' outstanding bills at Walmart
- - Greg Parady was in the store buying gifts to donate to a charity
- - He overheard a woman who didn't think she'd be able to pay off debt
- - The local businessman asked department how much all bills added up to
- - The 40-year-old spent $21,000 paying off almost 80 peoples' layaways
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A secret Santa brought an early Christmas gift to cash-strapped shoppers by spending $20,000 paying off their outstanding bills.
Staff at Walmart were stunned when Greg Parady asked if he could contribute towards customer's Christmas layaway bills.
The local businessman was browsing for toys in the store on The Villages, Florida, to donate to a charity event when he decided to spread even more good will.
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Surprise Santa: Greg Parady stunned staff and shoppers by spending $21,000 paying off their layaway bills
The local businessman was shocked to learn how many families could go without Christmas presents so decided to offer a helping hand
Staff at the store in The Villages, Florida (pictured) were stunned by Mr Parady's act of kindness
'It just kind of unfolded,' the 40-year-old said.
After overhearing another shopper say she may not be able to afford her outstanding bill, Mr Parady wandered over to the layaway department to see what he could do to help.
'It's kind of a depressing place... over by the bathrooms and bikes,' he told NBC news.
After asking the manager to tally up all the outstanding balances, Mr Parady was shocked to hear that $89,000 worth of gifts hadn't been paid for, and saddened by how many families were struggling to put presents under their tree.
The 40-year-old made a significant dent in the debt however, after swiping a variety of personal credit cards through the machine.
'I came back here and just saw him swiping and swiping,' said his businesspartner, Cindy Nazzaro, who accompanied him on the visit.
He paid the bills of six shoppers who were in the store at the time, as well as paying off half of every bill over $200.
Staff at the store recalled how the holiday hero swiped his card for customers who approached the till to cancel their orders, simply saying 'Merry Christmas' afterwards.
'They didn't know what was happening at first,' said Wal-Mart operations manager Deb Davis.
'This one girl in particular, she goes, "What do I owe?" My associate goes, 'That gentlemen right there just paid for you."'
Overwhelmed, the woman, began to cry and had to sit down on a bench.
His spending was so unexpected, Mr Parady's banks began to decline transactions in the fear his credit cards had been stolen.
The man used three different cards, took up two cashiers, and also made payments over the phone during the hours-long spree which employees described as the most generous they had ever seen.
'I've never seen anything of this magnitude,' said Ms Davis who has worked at the store for 13 years.
'I cant believe his credit cards didn't melt he was running them so fast.
'It was like stepping back in time when life wasn't so busy and so hectic when neighbors were helping neighbors,' she added.
A Christmas miracle: Deb Davies said she had never seen kindness 'of that magnitude' throughout her 13 years at the store
Mr Parady said he hoped his gesture inspired others to share at Christmas, whether it be money, time, or kindness
Since his act of kindness, Parady has become a global hit with tributes pouring in from all over the world.
'I didn't intend for the attention but I hope it motivates other people,' he said.
'I hope everyone will use it as a tool to give in their own way. It doesn't have to be money, it can be time, or just something kind.'
Though none have quite come close to the depth of Mr Parady's pockets, other do-gooders have been dropping in on stores to help settle struggling customers' debts.
The so-called 'layaway Santas' have been popping up across the US since 2011.
Walmart alone has noted 1,000 cases where a stranger has paid off another's bill this year, while KMart said over $1.5million had been spent by well-wishers in years past.
The company matched every layaway Santa's contribution with a $200 donation to Toys for Tots, and this year pledged to donate up to $1million to the charity.
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