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Anonymous Patriots fan pays all layaway items at Vermont Walmart ahead of Thanksgiving

A literal secret Santa.

Julie Ann Gates

Thanksgiving is the time to be grateful for family, health, and the like. Customers in a local Walmart store in Derby, Vermont are likely grateful for something else: a gesture by an anonymous man who decided to pay off all the layaway items, as first reported by WCAX one week ago. Nothing else is known about the mysterious customer — only that he is a fan of the New England Patriots.

While Walmart would not state how many items were paid for and what their total value is, the mystery shopper likely spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars. “Really have a feeling that there is hope for mankind or whatever. There’s still good people out there,” said Tammy Desautels who was one of the customers who had her layaway items paid for by the anonymous Patriots fan.

According to Julie Gates, who snapped the only photo of him and later shared it on Facebook, the man asked her to pick items and return to him so he could pay for them. “He said why don’t you run and get what you want now and come back here,” Gates said. “This can’t be, who can afford to pay for everyone layaway? And he said ‘Santa Claus can.’” Apparently, Santa Claus is a Patriots fan.