A secret Santa has hit a trio of Walmart stores in Pennsylvania, paying for about $166,000 worth of merchandise on layaway at the stores, according to multiple reports.
The anonymous donor, who goes by the name "Santa B," on Monday paid $74,000 in layaways at a store in Dauphin County and $46,000 at another in Lebanon County, Walmart spokeswoman Leslee Wright
The secret Santa last week paid for about $46,000 in layaways at a Walmart in Everett, the spokeswoman said.
[ told Penn Live ]
.
"When customers quietly pay off others' layaway items, we're reminded how good people can be," a Walmart official said in a statement. "The joy that comes from these transactions extends well beyond dollars and cents. We're honored to be a small part of these random acts of kindness."
It is at least the third consecutive year that Santa B has spread holiday cheer.
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"The checks all came from the same individual," Wright
[ told the Lebanon Daily News ]
. "We don't know who he is or where he's from. We enjoy the mystery and enjoy the excitement he brings to an awful lot of people."
Amanda Avila, a Walmart employee who had toys for her 2-year-old son on layaway at one of the stores, told the Daily News that she was stunned by the stranger's generosity.
"They are like the real Santa," she said.