SWATARA TOWNSHIP, DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. -- Santa Claus may be coming to town soon, but for some shoppers at a Swatara Township Walmart, he's already been here.
Standing in long lines is part of the tradition when it comes to holiday shopping, but when shoppers got to the end of the layaway checkout line, they also were in for a surprise.
Shopper Christy Pappas said "they took my receipt, and they said a penny. 'I'm like excuse me.' They said you owe a penny."
Shopper Krystle Palmer said "it was a one cent balance, which was great for me,you know because it's hard in these days and times."
A secret Santa of sorts paid off nearly $75,000 in gifts put aside on layaway. It was practically a Christmas miracle for many customers.
"Was I expecting it, absolutely not. Am I grateful, absolutely. Like, I don't know what I would have done if I didn't get this help," Pappas said.
"Every one of has kids, and we're trying to make the holidays good, and it's just nice that somebody was able to be nice enough and pay," Palmer said.
"I actually had tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe it. It was amazing," Pappas said.
A few customers say the kind gesture is worth more than what they would have spent on gifts for others.
"A hundred dollars could go to gas, food. My daughter is sick, so now I need to go get some medicine, so that money that I was going to spend for layaway, I'm going to go get her some medicine," Palmer said.
"It means a lot. This is one of the first Christmases in a long time that my kids, and my nieces and nephews will have a good Christmas," Pappas said.
Some shoppers say not everyone had their presents paid for, but for those who only had to pay a penny, they only have one thing to say.
"I appreciate whoever it was out there that was able to do this, thank you very much," Pappas said.
"For somebody to go out their way and just to pay for random people's stuff, that's very generous. I appreciate it, and thank whoever they are," Palmer said.