Some store associates at the Best Buy in Valley Stream, New York took it upon themselves to purchase a Wii U for one of their customers after seeing him come in on most days to play Smash Bros. on the display version of the console located in the store’s game section. The early Christmas present caught the teen by surprise, with the employees who presented it to him trying convince him that it was his, box, warranty, receipt and all.The video above was recorded and uploaded by Rahiem Storr, who according to his LinkedIn profile has been with Best Buy for nearly ten years. On the video’s YouTube page, he wrote,“This kid came in every single day to play the display Wii U, the employees in this store saw an opportunity to make a child smile and did just that. They chipped in and purchased a Wii U for him with their own money. This is amazing, why shop at Amazon when you have genuine people in this world that you can continue to help keep a job.”The store’s General Manger confirmed the loose details of the story in a phone call, saying that the teen visited the store often and the plan to buy him a Wii U was hatched by associates from the Appliances Department.
He didn’t become aware of the gesture until the video later went viral. Currently, a new 32GB Wii U bundled with a game goes for $300 at the store, at least according to Best Buy’s website. And in the comments, Storr said that one of the associates offered to drive the teen home so that he wouldn’t have to walk home alone with it.After the video went viral, it garnered a number of reactions from people in the comments sections of YouTube and Reddit, some of which ranged from cynical to just plain mean, proving that no deed, good or bad, can exist online without becoming a flash point for random people’s opinions. This led Storr to upload a second video in which he responded to the hate, saying “This is exactly what’s wrong with the world.”In the comments of the original video, Store wrote, “Whilst people have some horrible opinions about Best Buy associates I can not begin to express how wrong they actually are. I posted this to show otherwise, can’t tell you how often I give people discounts or children that save money to buy items and come up a few dollars short.
We are here to complete people’s lives not take away from it.”While the Wii U has struggled as a console, there’s no shortage of great games for it, with Smash Bros. being right up there at the very top.Employees at a Best Buy store in Valley Stream, New York, know the “regulars” who visit frequently, but no one compared to one teenage boy who popped in almost daily just to play Wii.His eyes would be glued to the Nintendo Wii U gaming system. It was like nothing else in the world mattered.Over time, the employees got to know the young man, and as a group, they decided to do something special.As an early Christmas present, some employees pooled money together to buy the boy a Wii U, including a copy of his favorite game, “Super Smash Bros.” The product is listed at about $300 on the store’s website.Rahiem Storr, a manager at the store on Long Island, posted a video of the gift presentation on YouTube. More than 1.5 million people have watched the video since it was posted on Dec. 7.“
On behalf of all of us here at Best Buy, we got you a Wii U so you don’t have to come here every day and play, ” an employee could be heard saying on the video. “This is something that we did for you. Everybody here that you see, we all got together and chipped in so you could have it.”The teen looked at them in disbelief. “I’m being serious,” the employee added, while holding the large box and a receipt in his hands.With a nervous smile, the boy wiped a tear from his face and accepted. Cautiously, he finally took the large box, as the employee explained that the Wii included a two-year warranty.“The employees in this store saw an opportunity to make a child smile and did just that,” Storr wrote. “They chipped in and purchased a Wii U for him with their own money. The video has been flooded with more than 1,000 comments — some positive, and unfortunately, more than a few negative.In a follow-up video, Storr urges any online “trolls” see the good in this story.“
They could have just as easily done nothing for him,” he said. “Did your mother never say to you, ‘If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.’” Best Buy has not yet returned CBS News’ request for comment on this story.NEW YORK (CNN) -- Employees at a Best Buy in suburban New York City decided to spread some holiday cheer by buying a Nintendo Wii U gaming system for a teen who was a regular at the store. Rahiem Storr, one of the managers at the Valley Stream, New York, store, said the teen came in every day to play games on the store's display system. In an email to CNN, Storr said employees Kenneth Fernandez and Pal Ndoja decided to buy the teen the Wii U with their own money so he could play the game at home. The employees surprised the teen while he was playing the Wii U in the store. The game system currently sells for $300 on Best Buy's website. Storr posted video of the gift presentation last week on YouTube, where it's been seen more than a million times.
"On behalf of all of us here at Best Buy, we got you a Wii U," an employee said in the video. "This is something we did for you. Everyone here that you see, we all got together and chipped in so you could have it." The gift left the teen almost speechless at first, but he grinned and wiped his cheek when he realized what was happening. "No for real, this is for you. Consider it an early Christmas present," the employee told him. Storr said his employees also bought the teen a copy of "Super Smash Bros.," the game he was playing, and gave him a ride home. The teen's parents were "very welcoming" and have since brought the boy back to the store, he said. "He just likes coming to Best Buy," Storr wrote on YouTube.Appliance RepairComputer & Tablet SetupTV/Home Theater SetupWiFi/Networking SetupCar/GPS SetupTechnology ConsultationChat with an AgentSchedule a serviceTrack your repairDetermine the value of your Trade-InFor eligibility and details, please see our FAQsLocal PromotionsSHOP OUR BEST DEALS ANYTIMEShop Hottest DealsSLOW COMPUTER?