DARDANELLE, Ark. – A teenager in Dardanelle is getting some attention after folks in the area heard about his act of kindness. The 19-year-old was in a Walmart when he decided to step in and help pay for something a boy asked his grandmother for and now the story is going viral.
“I overheard the conversation about her not being able to buy him a game,” teenager who paid for games, Billy Cross said.
Cross said it started off as a normal trip to the store and quickly changed.
“I looked at the price and I gave her the fifty dollars because I knew it would cover the price of the game and the taxes,” Cross said.
Marguritia Hawkins said his gesture came out of nowhere Saturday. Although the two were complete strangers Cross said he wanted to help.
“I had experienced that a lot throughout my childhood,” Cross said. “It was a common occurrence to not be able to get something I wanted.”
The two reunited on Sunday.
“I’m still just a little shocked. He’s just a nice young man,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins said she decided to share the story on Facebook, and it’s been shared and commented on more than 100 times.
“He deserved credit for what he did, he did not have to do that,” Hawkins said. “I’m not poor by any means but I’m not rich.”
Some folks are offering to give him gift cards, but he’s kindly declined. He just wants others to pay it forward or help someone in need.
And ever since they reconnected on Sunday, they have started a new friendship.
“I hope after today that we will still stay in contact because I would like to be there for you,” Hawkins said. Cross is a senior in high school and said he works more than 30 hours a week. He also said he never thought word would spread so quickly about what happened.
