A surprise holiday gift from an NFL star helped hundreds of Fort Pierce families clear their Christmas layaway balances.
Key points
- Mack’s foundation contributed $80,000 to settle layaway balances for an estimated 300‑350 Fort Pierce shoppers in December 2019.
- The donation was publicly acknowledged on Walmart’s Facebook page and framed as a “secret Santa” effort for the community.
- Walmart later reviewed the transaction, stating it did not follow internal procedures and took corrective steps, though the layaway assistance still reached many families.
In early December 2019, the Khalil Mack Foundation announced a $80,000 contribution that paid off layaway accounts at a Walmart in Fort Pierce, Florida, the hometown where Mack grew up and attended Fort Pierce Westwood High School.
The store’s Facebook post on Dec. 6 thanked the foundation for covering the outstanding balances on roughly 300 to 350 holiday purchases, allowing families to collect items without the remaining financial burden during the Christmas season.
Holiday donation announced on Facebook
Walmart store manager Mathias Libardi said the foundation approached the retailer with the idea of acting as a “secret Santa” for local shoppers, a gesture that followed an earlier donation of 100 football cleats for Mack’s former high school earlier that year.
In January 2020, Walmart disclosed that its internal review found the transaction had not been processed according to company guidelines, prompting corrective action. While the donation still cleared hundreds of layaway balances, reports indicated that not all of the $80,000 was applied to that purpose.
Scope of the layaway assistance
The episode remains a notable example of Mack’s off‑field community work, highlighting both the impact of his charitable giving and the complexities of coordinating large‑scale donations with corporate partners.
Reader questions
How many layaway accounts were covered by the donation?
CBS News reported the $80,000 donation cleared approximately 300 to 350 layaway accounts at the Fort Pierce Walmart.
What prompted Walmart’s internal review of the donation?
Walmart said the transaction was not handled according to its company guidelines, leading to a corrective action after an internal review in January 2020.
Did Khalil Mack’s foundation support other local initiatives?
Earlier in 2019, the foundation purchased 100 pairs of football cleats for players at Mack’s former high school, Fort Pierce Westwood.
Source: yardbarker.com
