Bay Area Secret Santas Pay Off Layaway Accounts

HAYWARD (KCBS) --- The spirit of giving is spreading to Bay Area Kmart stores as hundreds of "secret Santas" have been helping to pay down customers' layaway accounts in time for Christmas.

Kmart stores in the Bay Area are now seeing a steady stream of secret Santas, following in the footsteps of a an anonymous woman who paid down several layaway accounts at a store in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

At the Hayward Kmart, Assistant Store Manager Darlene Beverly said a very generous Santa came in last Friday.

"He came right to layaways, and said, 'I have $10,000 cash. Can I see the layaways?" she said.

The man paid down 63 accounts.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

"He didn't even want to give his name," Beverly said. "He just said he was secret Santa, and he wanted to make everybody happy for Christmas."

Kmart employees have the pleasure of calling customers to tell them the good news.

Bernadette, the office manager at the San Mateo Kmart says they've had at least 16 good Samaritans come in so far.

"I call them angels because that's what they are," she said.

So far no one has wanted publicity. Most have said they simply wanted to pay it forward.

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