Name: Secret Santa enlists Baltimore elf to spread Christmas cheer
Uploaded: 2025-12-21T15:46:59.086Z
Duration: 2 min 36 s
Description: Every year, Secret Santa (actually an anonymous, wealthy businessman) goes around the country handing out hundreds of $100 bills to random strangers. This time, Santa recruited Baltimore doctor Michael Zolicofer, a.k.a. Dr. Z, to help spread good tidings to random strangers and life-long patients alike.

Every year, Secret Santa (actually an anonymous, wealthy businessman) goes around the country handing out hundreds of $100 bills to random strangers. This time, Santa recruited Baltimore doctor Michael Zolicofer, a.k.a. Dr. Z, to help spread good tidings to random strangers and life-long patients alike.

Baltimore

An anonymous donor known as Secret Santa visited Baltimore, Maryland, and enlisted Dr. Michael Zollicoffer, a local physician recognized for his dedication to patients, to help distribute $10,000 in cash to community members. Together, they visited grocery stores, food pantries, and a senior center, handing out $100 bills to strangers and patients alike.

Dr. Zollicoffer described the experience as profoundly moving, emphasizing that the act of giving was about more than just money. Recipients, including a man who planned to use his gift to feed others in his building, expressed gratitude, highlighting the impact of the gesture during the holiday season.

Secret Santa enlists Baltimore elf to spread Christmas cheer

Let me go see this next patient. Dr. Michael Zollicoffer's next patient came in for congestion, and she will definitely breathe easier this holiday season. Good. Thanks to Dr. Z's new helper. I'm Dr. Claus. As in Santa Claus. One little prescription that I think may make your Christmas just a little bit better. His medicine? Four crisp $100 bills. Look at that. I don't even feel congested anymore. Yeah, that's why I'm here. As you may have guessed, Dr. Claus is actually Secret Santa, that anonymous wealthy businessman who every year goes around the country handing out hundreds of $100 bills to random strangers. This year, he decided to come to Baltimore, Maryland. This is to my sweetie. After seeing a story I did about Dr. Z, about how he never takes a real vacation and doesn't even care if you pay or not. Now, I'm going to see you no matter what. You walk in that door, you will be seeing your grandma with you. I'm going to see her, too. Yeah, I mean, what an amazing individual. A physician who practices medicine the way it was meant to be practiced. So, as a thank you to Dr. Z for all he's done, Secret Santa made him an elf. Put those in your pocket. Loaded him up with Benjamins. You watch what I do. And then together, they set out to just give away about $10,000. Oh, my goodness. Is it real? Yes, baby. They found people inside grocery stores and outside food pantries. See you, brother. They helped total strangers and lifelong customers. Look at this. This is one of my patients right here. I'm Secret Santa. I love it. Dr. Z has always been a giver, but he says this felt way different. This going out into the community for the sole purpose of spreading unconditional love. It's too good. And that's the beauty of what this is about. More than just the money. It's beyond description, folks. It's beyond description. This is a senior center, right? Yeah. At their last stop, they met a guy named John Hancock. It means a lot when you can help people. John said he planned to use his gift to feed hungry people in his building, as he's been known to do. Oh, my goodness. I know Dr. Z said that spreading unconditional love is a feeling beyond description. Thank you, bro. But moments like this sum it up pretty well. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

Nine people have died and at least ten others were wounded after a group of gunmen carried out a shooting at a South African pub during the early hours of Sunday, authorities said.

Bekkersdal

At least nine people killed in South Africa pub shooting

U.S. intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his aims of capturing all of Ukraine and reclaiming parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, six sources familiar with U.S. intelligence said.

Washington

Ukraine Invasion

As peace talks go on, U.S. intel says Putin's war goals unchanged

A court in Pakistan has convicted and sentenced the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, including jewelry given by Saudi Arabia in 2021.

Islamabad

Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan convicted to 17 years in prison

The U.S. seized an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast on Saturday. It's the second time in two weeks that U.S. forces have carried out such an action. This comes after President Donald Trump announced a block of "sanctioned oil vessels" entering and exiting Venezuela.

Caracas

Oil tanker seized off Venezuela, second in two weeks

The Justice Department released more documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Saturday after failing to meet Friday's deadline to release all the documents, as required by the law signed by President Trump last month. The Justice Department said the delay was, in part, to ensure that victims' information was protected.

Justice Department releases more Epstein documents Saturday

The U.S. Department of Justice released thousands of documents, photos and files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday. But some Democrats are criticizing the partial release because the department had a deadline to release all of the files by end of Friday.

'Partial' release of Epstein files faces criticism

The United States military “hit the ISIS [ISIL] thugs in Syria”, President Donald Trump has said, a week after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Syria’s Palmyra city. Trump said he “ordered a massive strike on the terrorists that killed our three great patriots last week”.

Damascus

Trump says U.S has launched large-scale attacks on ISIL in Syria

Ukraine said its drones hit a vessel from Russia's shadow fleet – the first such strike in the neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Russia's shadow fleet transports sanctioned Russia oil by frequently changing flags and concealing ownership.

Ukraine strikes Russian shadow fleet tanker in Mediterranean sea

The U.S. Justice Department has released thousands of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, including photos featuring people like former President Bill Clinton and Mick Jagger. However, survivors are concerned with how much information was redacted from the files.

Thousands of new Epstein files, photos released

The U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday (December 19) in retaliation for an attack on American personnel, U.S. officials said.

U.S. hits ISIS in Syria with large retaliatory strikes

The man suspected of carrying out an attack in Taiwan with a smoke grenade and knife acted alone, police said on Saturday of the incident that killed at least four, including the attacker. This edit contains graphic images.

Taipei City

Taipei attacker acted alone, police say after three killed

The suspect in the Dec. 13 mass shooting on the campus of Brown University was found dead by suicide in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, authorities said. He has been identified as 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a former Brown grad student.

Providence

How a Reddit post led police to the suspected university shooter

Seven people were killed, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his wife and children, in a plane crash in North Carolina. Investigators hope to find clues about why it happened on the cockpit voice recorder. Cristian Benavides has the latest.

Plane crash kills NASCAR driver, family

President Trump announced new agreements on Friday with nine pharmaceutical companies aimed at making certain prescription drugs cheaper. CBS News reporter Karen Hua has the details.

Trump announces agreements with major drugmakers to lower prices

The U.S. Justice Department released a new trove of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, bowing to pressure from lawmakers who forced their disclosure with a new law.

Washington County

Justice Department releases new tranche of Epstein files

The Justice Department has released a new batch of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News legal reporter Katrina Kaufman has more.

Combing through newly released Epstein files

TikTok has signed a deal to sell its U.S. operations to a group of investors in America, a source familiar with the deal tells CBS News.

TikTok nears deal to avoid ban in the U.S.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to the European Union's massive $108 billion loan to fund Ukraine's war against Russia.

Kyiv

European Union loans Ukraine billions as Putin boasts about war

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues to take a heavy toll on civilians, particularly in frontline areas such as Zaporizhzhia, where fighting and shelling persist.

Moscow

Putin accuses Kyiv of rejecting peaceful settlement

The man believed to be responsible for carrying out the Brown University shooting and killing an MIT professor was found dead in a storage unit in New Hampshire on Thursday, officials said.

Salem

Suspect in Brown and MIT shootings found dead

Australia will launch a national gun buyback program in the aftermath of a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Council of the City of Sydney

Australia announces gun buyback program after Bondi Beach shooting

TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements with American investors to allow the U.S. arm of the business to continue operating.

Beijing

TikTok signs deal to allow app to continue operating in the U.S.

Under a law passed by Congress and signed by President Trump, the Justice Department has until Friday to release its files on the Jeffrey Epstein case. House Democrats released more photos from the estate of the convicted sex offender. Scott MacFarlane reports.

House Democrats release more Epstein photos ahead of DOJ deadline

The European Commission announced it will delay the signing of the Mercosur trade agreement until the new year after Meloni asked for more time. No date has been set. Backers hope deal won't be further derailed.

Brussels

Mercosur signature delayed to January after Meloni asked for more time

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro has more on that and the president's year-end address from Wednesday night.

Trump signs executive order reclassifying marijuana

President Donald Trump laid out what he claims are the reasons that America's economy is thriving in an address to the nation. This comes as Americans remain concerned about high prices.

Trump touts economic record during address to nation

Multiple sources tell CBS News a person of interest has been identified in the mass shooting at Brown University. CBS News' Tom Hanson reports.

Person of interest identified in deadly Brown University shooting

Brazil’s Senate passed a bill that could drastically reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup, potentially cutting his time behind bars to just over two years.

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil Congress passes bill to cut Bolsonaro prison term

EU leaders are split in Brussels over using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. Poland backs urgent action, while Belgium resists over legal and financial risks. Ukraine is pressing for a decision by year’s end.

EU leaders urge swift decision on frozen Russian funds for Ukraine

The U.S. military said Wednesday that it attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on the same day the House rejected efforts to limit President Donald Trump’s power to use military force against drug cartels.

Breakdown