What started as a joke has turned into a real-life fundraiser for New Jersey families in need this holiday season.

Drew Delgado, 31, frequents Walmart in Lanoka Harbor multiple times a week without incident. After an unpleasant experience on Nov. 26, he created a Facebook event called “Walmart Self Checkout Employee Christmas Party.”

“Celebrating another successful year of picking, paying, and bagging your own groceries while actual employees just stand around and check receipts,” he wrote in the event description before sharing it in a few local Facebook groups.

He was shocked to find that the event made its rounds online and thousands of people had signed up to attend. His wife even heard people talking about it during a Walmart trip of her own.

Eventually the Delgados got the idea to host a fundraiser in the Walmart parking lot where people buy toys inside the store and meet in the parking lot.

“How about everybody go inside, buy a toy and then we can just pile them up in the parking lot and have a Santa Claus out there,” he thought. “Then just have random people with their kids come up and take a gift.”

Someone from Walmart contacted him to talk about it and while they thought it was funny, they weren’t interested in him hosting an event in their lot, he said. Instead, they suggested people donate inside the store’s Toys for Tots bins.

His wife, Nicole, thought it’d be nice to move forward with the event elsewhere, so they got in touch with Lacey Elks Lodge 2518, a fraternal organization in Forked River. They agreed to host the event for the Delgados on Friday.

Negative Walmart experience led man to post fake event on Facebook

Delgado said the event he initially posted was a joke and his attempt at coping with an uncomfortable experience at Walmart in late November.

He went to Walmart to pick up a few items and paid at self-checkout as usual. He watched as an employee let multiple people walk by without incident. When it was his turn to leave, an employee stopped and asked him to show his receipt, he said.

“I'm not the type of person that ever really gets offended by anything … but I'm in that Walmart, two to three times a week,” he said. “Somebody in there knows who I am, you know?”

He pointed out to the employee who stopped him that she didn’t approach anyone else, who nodded and grinned, he said.

“I felt like I got profiled because I have tattoos and my hair's kind of long,” he said. “I felt like I got kind of singled out, which is fine and again, I'm not offended by it because obviously, I've made my own bodily choices that, in the world we live in, some people still frown upon.”

It annoyed him, mostly because the employee let multiple people walk out before he got to the door.

“You guys shouldn't even look at me anymore because I'm always here. I'm always legitimately buying the products I'm walking out with. I'm too old to steal, man. There's nothing in here I need to steal,” he laughed.

He said his fake Facebook event was his attempt at poking fun at the workers who stand there as he rings himself up, pays and leaves. 

“You only do any kind of customer service when you want to harass somebody for their receipt,” Delgado said.

Donations will help animals shelters and families in need

Friday’s event will look different depending on the turnout, Delgado said. 

It’ll be at the back of the Lacey Elks Lodge in Forked River. 

If not many people show, they’ll just hang out, have hot chocolate and enjoy the company, he said. If more people show, it may evolve into a drive-thru dropoff event. He said Santa will be there to take photos as well.

Based on the number of people who responded to a recent post he made on the event page, there may be at least 100 people there.

People who want to help out can bring unwrapped toys, clothing, shoes, food and more.

Donations will go to the Elks Lodge, who will make sure people in need get the toys. Donations may also go to Popcorn Park Animal Refuge, one of the largest animal shelters in the area.

“They need a lot of stuff so we're trying to help them out,” he said.

There are also two Amazon lists people can donate to. There is one for the animal shelter and another for families the Elks Lodge works with.

Delgado said he’s just happy to help out.

“Times are tough for everybody and they're only getting tougher, it seems, every month,” he said. “Holidays are usually very stressful in general for a lot of people because it's a lot of extra expenses that we feel like we're obligated to pay. I’m just trying to ease the pain of that a little bit.”

How to support the 'Walmart Self-Checkout Employee Christmas Party' to help NJ families in need

• When: Friday, Dec. 15, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
• Where: Lacey Elks Lodge 2518, located at 900 Beach Boulevard in Forked River.
• For more: Keep up with the Delgados and their event at www.tinyurl.com/LaceyXmas.