Dozens of Kmart customers across the country have received calls this holiday season from managers telling them anonymous donors have paid off their layaway accounts.
This past week, that Secret Santa spirit reached Grand Forks.
Steve Gackle, manager of the Grand Forks Kmart on South Washington Street, said 13 accounts have been paid off at different times, three by a family and 10 others by two men who came in at the same time but didn't know each other.
"One said 'life's been very fortunate for me,' and said he read about the other cases in the news," Gackle said. "The other overheard and said 'that's why I'm here too.'"
Similar stories involving dozens of Kmart customers have popped up in recent days in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Montana. Most of the donors have done their giving secretly.
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On Dec. 10, a married couple and their teenage daughter stopped at the Grand Forks location and asked to help families who are having trouble paying for items for young children or basic warm weather clothing. Each family member picked an account to benefit.
"They wanted to do it just because they thought it was a good thing to do," Gackle said. They paid off two of the accounts in full and paid for part of a third.
Friday, the two men paid off 10 layaway accounts, also looking to help people pay for toys and winter clothing.
Gackle said the benefactors all were from the area and all wanted to remain anonymous. He didn't want to give an exact dollar value of the gifts, only saying it was several hundred dollars.
"I contacted these people to let them know their contracts had been paid so they can come in and pick things up," Gackle said. "One customer had lost his job at end of summer, and his wife had been cut down to part time. His was voice cracking on the phone. It really tugs on your heartstrings.
"The customer said 'this will make my girls' Christmas.' It really made my Christmas being able to tell these people what had happened," Gackle said.
Stromsodt is the Herald's assigning editor. Reach her at kstromsodt@gfherald.com or (701) 780-1249. The Associated Press contributed this report.
