Michelle Marchante
Miami Herald
DADE CITY, Fla. — A Florida police department is giving back this holiday season — and has helped pay off 26 layaway accounts at Walmart.
Dade City Chief James Walters and his staff walked into the Walmart in his city and asked to pay off all of the layaway accounts the store had, according to Dade City police.
The department says they paid off more than $4,300 worth of layaways.
Walters then called each customer to share the good news. That’s when he says the real magic happened.
“The relief in some of their faces...because if they had the means, they would have paid it off already,” Walters said. “Each call made a lasting memory, not only for the recipients, but the givers, as well.”
The 26 layaway purchases were about to expire and would have been returned to the shelves the next day, WFLA reports.
“We want to thank our anonymous benefactors who, along with our Dade City Police Foundation, who do so much for us all year long,” Dade Police wrote on Facebook. “This support is magnified even more at this time of year when so many are in need of help.”