Eddie Vedder made the very generous gesture after reading an article in the Washington Post about a mother of six children named Tyshika Britten who had posted a plea for financial help on Craigslist.
She wrote: “I am a mother of six, 5 boys and 1 baby girl… I'm so hurt. I'm trying my best. I pray everyday and now I'm begging for help. I know it's not about the gifts, but they are kids! I'm such a failure right now . . . please help me.”
Eddie Vedder said he decided to help the family because he was “just so moved by the story and what this mother did for her children”.
He added, “I thought those kids must be so proud of their mother for reaching out. That takes a lot of courage.”
The Pearl Jam singer said that the woman’s plight reminded him of his own unhappy childhood. “There were years there were toys from Santa, but they were used and they came from garage sales and they didn't always work,” he told the Washington Post.
Britten admitted that she had never heard of Eddie Vedder and that she had to Google him after receiving the cheque.