A Wollongong man ticked an item off his bucket list last week - and changed Christmas for dozens of local families.
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Trish Thomas is a store manager at Casey's Toys, and was negotiating the usual Christmas rush over the weekend when a man she didn't recognise walked in.
"He asked me to add up the cost of all the lay-bys so he could pay for them," she said.
"I was dumbfounded. Nothing like this has ever happened before."
Trish tallied up the total of more than $3,500, and the secret santa came back with the cash.
"When I told my bosses what had happened I started crying," she said.
"After such a tough year and everything that's happened it's such a beautiful gesture."
She called all her lay-by customers to let them know what had happened, and said the Christmas miracle had come at the perfect time for many.
One lady started crying ... her husband lost his job in COVID, and she didn't know if she would be able to pay the toys off
- Trish Thomas
"One lady started crying because her husband lost his job during COVID, and she didn't know if she would be able to pay the toys off in time for Christmas," Trish said.
"Another had just lost a close family member. After such a hard week it really made a difference to her."
Trish contacted the Illawarra Mercury to share the heartwarming story.
The man behind it, Michael Freris, didn't want any attention, but said he was happy to hear his gift had made a difference to many families.
"It's been on my bucket list ever since I saw a story about someone in Melbourne doing it one year," he said.
"When I grew up Mum had things on lay-by all the time, so I know for many people that's their only option.
"I thought this might be the year I was in a position to do it, I knew it was a crappy year for a lot of people.
"On Saturday I thought this is the week, it's not or never."
He thought maybe by speaking he could pay that inspiration forward.
"I think as you get older you realise giving can be better than receiving," he said.
"I don't have kids, but I'm a big kid at heart and it's amazing to hear it's had such a positive impact.
"If people hear about it they might be inspired to do something similar when they have the means, like I was."
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