Wake Forest pub owner frustrated after gift card mishap temporarily derails $2,750 effort to help needy families

A local business owner held a recent fundraiser, donating the proceeds to local families who needed a little help this Christmas.

But his good intentions hit a stumbling block when the Visa Gift Cards he purchased at Target to give to the families didn't work.

This was thousands of dollars in Visa Gift Cards that weren't activated.

Mackey's Pub raised $6,000 earlier this month to help families in need for the holidays.

The money was split between two schools. One of those schools said it couldn't take cash so Michael Mackey bought $2,750 worth of Visa Gift Cards.

"I stopped at Target and bought 50, $50 gift cards plus there's a $5 gift card activation fee," Mackey said.

The cards were distributed to several families, but when they tried to use them, they were told they weren't activated.

Mackey has called Visa who told him this was an issue with the retailer.

He also reached out to Target.

Mackey said he was very clear about the purpose of these cards and the need for a quick resolution.

"They said they needed to investigate which could take three to five business days," Mackey said. "I asked them to escalate this and give me someone who can maybe go around their protocol."

We also reached out to Visa, who did not respond to our emails.

Mackey said he just wants someone to make this right in time for Christmas.

"I'm not trying to point the finger at anyone," Mackey said. "I just want to have a solution so I can follow through on what I promised."

Fortunately on Tuesday afternoon, Target confirmed to WRAL News that they worked with Mackey and activated the cards, effectively reaching a happy ending.

Before that, we learned that Wakefield Flooring jumped in to help, donating the same amount of money ($2,750) to make sure these families didn't miss out on a wonderful Christmas.