A New Hampshire waitress who paid the lunch bill for two soldiers affected by the government shutdown was given the biggest surprise of her life by television star Ellen DeGeneres.
Sarah Hoidahl, a 22-year-old single mother, works as a waitress at a Ruby Tuesday in Concord, N.H. Earlier this month, two members of the N.H. National Guard sat at one of the tables in her section and she overheard them talking about how they were not getting paid during the government shutdown.
Hoidahl wanted to do something kind for the two soldiers, so when it came time for them to pay their bill, she presented them with this instead:
The Huffington Post reports that the soldiers’ lunch cost Hoidahl $27.75, but she did not give it a second thought.
News of Hoidahl’s good deed quickly spread when the N.H. National Guard made that post on their Facebook page on October 10. The news soon spread to television talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who is known for helping out those who show kindness to others or who are in need.
DeGeneres invited Hoidahl to her show on Friday where she surprised the woman by digging through her coin purse to give her $27.75 in cash. She also gave her a 50-inch television, and a check for $10,000, reports E! News.
Upon seeing the giant $10,000 check, Hoidahl burst out in tears and gave her thanks to DeGeneres, who simply told her, “You're a good person."
Image: ABC