Saints, Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson Pays Off $100,000 In Layaways

NEW ORLEANS, LA — New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson dropped $100,000 in Walmart the other day, checking out only with the satisfaction that she had made Christmas easier for more than 400 customers of the store. She paid off the remaining balances on customers’ layaway plans.

Benson, 71, became the sole owner of the NFL’s Saints and NBA’s Pelicans after the death of her husband, Tom Benson, in March. She made her donation quietly and without fanfare.

Customers were stunned to learn when they went to the store to pay on their balances that the slate had been wiped clean, according to media reports.

“They’re coming in, and they’re calling their friends and family,” store representative Zena Williams told the New Orleans Advocate, the first to report Benson paid off the layaways. “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.”

Image: Owner Gayle Benson of the New Orleans Saints waves to the crowd before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Nov. 18, 2018, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)