Tallahassee author surprises disabled veteran with $1,000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - An act of kindness was handed over on Wednesday afternoon when a local author, J. Andy, invoked the spirit of a character from his latest book and gave a disabled veteran the surprise of his life during a visit to Waffle House.

A waitress at the shop handed John Pickett an envelope. Inside the envelope was $1,000 in cash.

“I’ve never received anything like this before,” Pickett said.

The money is a gift that will go a long way for this desert storm army veteran for “basic necessities, gas, food and pay some bills.”

Pickett has been struggling with service-related COPD and has found himself unable to work during the pandemic.

“I’m very grateful,” said Pickett.

“I wanted to do something for veterans,” Welch explained.

The author felt spurred by the spirit of his latest character, Rufus-I.

“He’s funny, he’s hilarious and he gets out of trouble along the way,” described Welch.

Welch hopes to continue giving through the proceeds of his book and making a difference in the lives of local veterans in need.

“It’s very generous, very kind, and very much appreciated,” added Pickett.

This particular vet left the waffle shop and headed to the gas station after a 200-mile round-trip to a doctors appointment just the day before. The gift was made possible through the help of an anonymous middle man who hopes to facilitate more good deeds in the near future.

You can purchase Welch’s book by clicking here.

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