Saints Owner Gayle Benson Pays Nearly $100,000 to Settle New Orleans Fans' Walmart Layaways

Benson, who is the sole owner of pro sports teams the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, surprised several customers when she wrote a check for nearly $100,000 to pay off 408 layaway orders at a local Walmart, according to The New Orleans Advocate

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Gayle Benson displayed some saintly actions ahead of the Christmas holiday.

Benson, who is the sole owner of pro sports teams the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, surprised several customers when she wrote a check for nearly $100,000 to pay off 408 layaway orders at a local Walmart, according to The New Orleans Advocate.

“They’re coming in, and they’re calling their friends and family,” store manager Zena Williams told the publication. “They’re very excited. It’s a good thing. It’s a good thing for the community. It’s a good thing for the store. I’m glad that we can participate and help bless so many people for the holidays.”

Customers were shocked to find their orders had been paid for when they arrived to collect their purchases, the Advocate reported.

Drew Brees and Gayle Benson. Jonathan Bachman/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Williams estimated Benson’s total contributions to $93,502, according to local news outlet 4WWL.

Though Benson made her contribution anonymously, the Saints confirmed the generous donations in a statement. “This was a gift from Mrs. Benson for the holidays,” the NFL team told PEOPLE.

A rep for the Saints did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Benson took over as the role of sole owner of both the NFL and NBA team when her husband, Tom Benson, died in March.