‘Ellen’ Surprises Concord Waitress Again

Remember Sarah Hoidahl, the Ruby Tuesday waitress from Henniker who picked up the tab for those servicewomen during the government shutdown and then was thanked with a check from comedian Ellen Degeneres?

Well, they both are back in the news.

For a segment of her “Ellen” show this week, Degeneres sent an employee to the restaurant, acting as a reporter, to talk to Hoidahl about her experiences since picking up the lunch tab for the two National Guardswomen last month.

During the conversation with the reporter, Hoidahl received a phone call at the restaurant from Degeneres who let her know that the reporter was one of her employees. The two chitchatted for a bit about things, including some car problems Hoidahl was having. Then Degeneres told Hoidahl why she was calling – she forget to give her something when she was on the show previously.

Degeneres fiddled around with her purse for a bit, trying to find something, and then sent another employee in to surprise Hoidahl with a set of keys to a brand new 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, to replace the vehicle Hoidahl and her mother were sharing that was having some mechanical issues.

During the introduction of the vehicle, Degeneres mistakenly called the Hyundai a Honda, and then read a brief advertorial promo for the vehicle, as Hoidahl jumped inside the SUV, while crying.

The "Ellen" show episode aired on Nov. 8.