Ellen Rewards Waitress's Good Deed—in a Big Way

When Sarah Hoidahl picked up the $27.75 lunch tab of two National Guard soldiers who weren't getting paid thanks to the government shutdown, she probably wasn't expecting this: On Ellen DeGeneres' show yesterday, Ellen paid the New Hampshire waitress back the $27.75 ... and then also handed her a $10,000 check and a 50-inch TV. As Hoidahl got emotional, Ellen just repeated, "You're a good person," Fox News reports.

Hoidahl heard the two servicewomen discussing being furloughed while she was waiting tables at a Ruby Tuesday. Instead of their check, she delivered a note to their table that read, "Thanks to the government shutdown the people like you that protect this country are not getting paid, however I still am. Lunch is on me thank you for serving ladies! Have a good day!" The New Hampshire National Guard posted a picture of the note on its Facebook page, which is how Ellen learned of the good deed. (More Ellen DeGeneres stories.)