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WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — All she wanted to do was make sure the 18,000 hand-written cards she collected and personalized over the past year got to our troops overseas this holiday season.
And when the organization that usually helped 77-year-old Maryls Halbeisen ship those cards couldn't do it this year — Colorado, you really stepped up to help.
With all the donations made to Contact7 Gives, we were able to help cover the cost to get the cards shipped.
We even raised enough money to pay for the cards and ship them next year, too.
And on Thursday, Halbeisen got to meet the Denver7 viewer who donated a whopping $1,750 to her cause.
"Hi there,” Halbeisen said as Roberta Olson came to her door. “Come in. Come in. So nice to meet you. Thank you.”
“Oh, you're welcome,” Olson said.
“You are God's miracle,” Halbeisen said.
“No, I'm not God's miracle," Olson said.
Two strangers meeting for the first time, united by a common cause.
"My father and my two uncles, his older brother and younger brother, were all three in the military. Army, Navy and Marines,” Olson said.
Halbeisen’s husband and Olson’s father both served in the Korean War.
“And that’s what got my attention when I was watching her story earlier this week,” Olson said. “I did this in honor of my dad. And (Maryls’) husband.”
Olson said she initially went to her computer after seeing the story and decided to donate $500.
“But, there was a voice in my head saying, ‘Oh, come on. You’re not just doing $500. Just give her everything she needs,’” Olson said. “And it was Divine. It was God.”
“You have such a big heart," Halbeisen said.
And just for good measure, during that Thursday meeting Olson also gave Halbeisen an envelope containing $500 in cash to purchase next year’s cards.
"$500 dollars?" Halbeisen exclaimed. “Thank you so much."
Perfect strangers now likely to be life-long friends.
