A waitress who picked up the tab for two National Guard soldiers affected by the government shutdown was paid back by Ellen DeGeneres - and then some.
Sarah Hoidahl of Concord, N.H., said she just wanted to do a nice thing for the soldiers she was waiting on, so she recently picked up their lunch tab of $ 27.75.
On Friday, after the story went viral, Ellen interviewed Hoidahl and paid her $ 27.75 in cash. Then she threw in a check for $ 10,000 and a 50-inch television.
An emotional Hoidahl buried her face in her hands and thanked Ellen, who replied multiple times, "You're a good person." And right she is. Watch it unfold:
DeGeneres heard of Hoidahl's gesture when the New Hampshire National Guard posted a picture on its Facebook page and the story spread quickly online.
The government shutdown ended after more than two weeks with the passage of a temporary budget agreement, but tensions could resurface in early 2014.
In the meantime, it's nice to hear at least one good thing came out of it.
The Hollywood Gossip