News

Seymour’s anonymous ‘Secret Santa’ spreads the Christmas spirit

By Billie Davern

Dec 16, 2024

An anonymous ‘Secret Santa’ recently paid off all of the lay-bys at the local ToyWorld, proving the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Seymour.

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Store owner Sherril King said that on December 8, over 90 lay-bys were paid off by this generous individual, and although the exact sum of money spent is unknown to the Telegraph, Ms King labelled it a “significant amount”.

She said the town had experienced a tough run recently.

“We’ve had a rough few years,” she said.

“With the floods, and now the cost-of-living crisis.”

But it is generous acts such as this one that allow many in the community to enjoy the festive season.

Members of the Seymour Community Facebook page expressed their gratitude to this anonymous giver.

“I would like to thank the person or people who have done a huge kind gesture by paying off my Christmas lay-bys,” Amanda Ruscoe wrote in a post on December 9.

ToyWorld Seymour is gearing up for the busy holiday season. Photo by Billie Davern

Over 30 people in the Facebook group commented on Ms Ruscoe’s post, either expressing their personal gratitude, or simply appreciating the kind gesture.

Ms King said the ‘Secret Santa’ had planned on paying off the lay-bys several times but had never been in a position to do so.

This year, however, the individual had the means to make the Christmases of local children and families.

Ms King indicated that the motivation of the individual was simply to lift the local spirit.

“The person who did it wanted to give something back to the community and uplift it,” Ms King said.

The identity of the ‘Secret Santa’ remains unknown; however, their generous act will forever be appreciated by the community.