Vault: The Bert Show Reunited a Father With His Son for the Holidays

Summary

The Bert Show — “Vault: The Bert Show Reunited a Father With His Son for the Holidays”

Date: May 25, 2026

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Episode Overview

This heartwarming episode of The Bert Show centers on the spirit of generosity during the holiday season as the team kicks off their annual "Pay It Forward" campaign. The highlight is an emotional on-air moment where The Bert Show reunites a father, Chris, with his 8-year-old son, Connor, who has been living abroad with his mother and stepfather. Through community support and sponsors, the show makes it possible for Connor to spend Christmas with his dad in Atlanta—a beautifully moving gesture underscoring the true meaning of the season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The “Pay It Forward” Philosophy

• Definition & Spirit of the Campaign

  • Paying it forward means taking a kind gesture received and passing it on to others. The hosts note its heightened meaning around the holidays but encourage listeners to practice it year-round.
  • Quote (Host Chris, 01:24):
    “Paying it forward is when somebody does something nice for you and you pass it along and do it nice for someone else…with the holidays here, it seems even more appropriate.”

• Personal Reflections

  • Hosts share stories of receiving and giving random acts of kindness, from paid-for drive-thru orders to toll payments.
  • Quote (Co-host Dale, 02:39):
    “Total stranger doing something nice for somebody else kind of gives you hope that, you know what, everybody is still really nice on the inside.”

• Giving vs. Receiving

  • The emotional rewards are even more powerful when you’re the giver.
  • Quote (Host Jen Hobby, 03:03):
    “I think it’s an even better feeling when you’re the one paying it forward…they’re never gonna know you…But it’s just doing something good.”

How the “Pay It Forward” Campaign Works

• The show partners with sponsors (Georgia’s Own Credit Union, Chipper Jones Family Foundation) to support people in need and encourage a citywide movement of kindness.
• Recipients (“nominations”) can be friends, family, teachers, or oneself—anyone going through hardship.

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Headline Story: Chris and Connor’s Reunion

Chris’s Email & Story (06:00–07:08)

• Chris wrote to the show, explaining that his ex-wife and her Army husband relocated to Germany with his 8-year-old son, Connor, just after Connor’s birthday.

• Financial constraints due to unemployment made it impossible to afford Connor’s flight home for Christmas as originally planned.

• Chris expresses deep love for his son and the pain of spending the holiday apart.

  Email Excerpt (read by Host Jen Hobby, 06:00):
  “I was hoping that you would consider helping me get my son back home to me for Christmas...Although it was hard for me, I realized the great cultural opportunity that existed for Connor and decided not to file for custody…Getting tickets out of Frankfurt and into Atlanta this close to the season is very expensive and due to my being unemployed last year, unfeasible. Connor is my whole world…”

On Air with Chris (07:08–10:32)

• Chris reveals it’s been since November 9th—after Connor’s birthday—since they last saw each other.

• The hosts express empathy for his heartbreak:
  Quote (Host Chris, 07:16):
  “There’s nothing more frustrating than…counting down to Christmas and...having it not happen...That’s just...heartbreaking.”

• The Show’s Gift

  • The team announces they’re covering Connor’s flight from Frankfurt, bringing him home in time for Christmas.
  • Quote (Host Chris, 08:35):
    “We will bring him back from Frankfurt and he will be here in time for Christmas and he will be waking up at your house on Christmas morning.”
  • Chris is overcome with gratitude:
    Quote (Caller Chris, 08:43):
    “That sounds wonderful. I really appreciate it, guys. I mean, it’s just awesome.”

• Paying It Forward in Return

  • The show asks only that Chris and Connor find a way—big or small—to pay the kindness forward.
  • Quote (Host Jen Hobby, 09:05):
    “Some sort of act of service...doesn’t have to be money. It can be, you know, anything.”

• Father-Son Bond & Gratitude

  • Chris speaks tenderly about Connor’s giving spirit and his own appreciation for the support.
  • Quote (Caller Chris, 09:20):
    “He’s such a giving child anyway...I just love him so much. I’m glad that y’all are gonna be able to help me out here.”

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Power of Giving:

  • “It’s better when you’re giving than when you’re getting.”
    – Host Jen Hobby (10:49)

  • “I’m not used to giving. Feeling so good.”
    – Host Chris (10:53)

• On Teaching the Next Generation:

  • “You and your son can do it together, and you can teach him the whole concept to pay it forward.”
    – Co-host Dale (09:15)

• On Holiday Spirit:

  • “Merry Christmas. And happy holidays. And you will be celebrating Christmas with your son.”
    – Host Chris (09:34)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:24 – 04:04: Introduction to “Pay It Forward” campaign; stories about giving and receiving kindness.
• 06:00 – 07:08: Chris’s heartfelt email and background.
• 07:08 – 08:32: Chris shares personal struggles and hopes for seeing his son.
• 08:32 – 09:34: The Bert Show surprises Chris with the news that they’ll bring Connor home for Christmas.
• 09:34 – 10:32: Emotional reactions, gratitude, encouragement to pay it forward, and plans for Chris to update the show post-holidays.

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Takeaway

This episode embodies the authentic, compassionate tone The Bert Show is known for. Through genuine storytelling and direct action, the hosts not only grant a once-in-a-lifetime memory for a father and son but also champion everyday kindness, encouraging every listener to “pay it forward” in their own lives.

Transcript

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[Host Chris]

social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. The Birch show the Birch Show's Pay It Forward what's the. I mean, it seems so self explanatory. Paying it forward is when somebody does something nice for you and you pass it along and do it nice for someone else. And you know, it's a cool philosophy all year long, but with the holidays here, it seems even more appropriate.

[Host Jen Hobby]

I think everybody's in the, you know, in the mindset of giving this season and thinking about ways that they can give and ways that they can help out and that kind of thing and it really can be something you can do simply every single day, right?

[Host Chris]

Yeah. And it's something too that if you've ever been on the receiving side of it, it's really almost bizarrely cool. To have. And it's happened to me, honestly, only once in my entire life. And it was at the drive through of a restaurant, a fast food place. And I just pulled in to get a soda and got up to the window, and the person's like, the car in front of you paid for your drink. Now, I will admit, selfishly, my first thought was, can I get a sandwich and fries? Why is this happening when I'm just getting the diet Coke, but whatever. I got the soda. But it really kind of makes you feel.

[Co-host Dale]

Because, I mean, so many times that you're going through your life and you feel either you feel selfish or irritated or you're not happy with people, or people get on your nerves. And it's happened to me several times at the Georgia 400 toll that I've been at the toll where they said, the person in front of you just paid for your toll. And for a moment you're like, you know what? That's cool. Total stranger. Doing something nice for somebody else kind of gives you hope that, you know what, everybody is still really nice on the inside, you know?

[Host Jen Hobby]

And I think it's an even better feeling when you're the one paying it forward. Like when you're the one who says, you know what, I'm gonna buy the meal for the people behind me in the drive thru line. They're never gonna know you. They're never gonna be able to thank you. But it's just doing something good. I think it almost feels better giving it than actually being on the receiving

[Host Chris]

end of the pay it forward, which is what we're.

[Co-host Dale]

Yeah, it seems like a foreign concept to Jeff, but, you know, personally. But as a show, I'm cool.

[Host Chris]

No, I'm totally cool with this. Cause it's not my money. It's thanks to Georgia's own credit union and also the Chipper Jones family foundation. They've given us a pretty nice budget as they do every year, and they've done every year for the past few years. And they say, you know what? Go out and do something nice with this. And we've done home for the holidays in the past, and we've done help for the holidays in the past. And this year we just decided, you know, times are tough and what can we do to maximize the impact? So.

[Host Jen Hobby]

And hopefully every day as we talk to people who are the recipients of the Birch's pay it forward, it'll remind you every single day for you to pay it forward. Because we kind of want to start this movement throughout the entire city of Atlanta.

[Host Chris]

And what I'm thinking would be really cool is like a week from now if we get a phone call and it's somebody going, hey, I don't really understand this, but last week you guys paid someone's electric bill right before it was going to get cut off. Well, they ended up coming into work that day and they brought food that they had made for everybody in the office to have so they could save their lunch money. And then one of the people who saved their lunch money bought my meal at a restaurant or something like that. So I'm not really sure what it is. Yeah, I'm not really sure what that all means, but I just want to say that that happened, like that would be really cool because that's 1, 2, 3 levels of this. Fingers crossed it'll pass on to the new year. So we're going to grant our first pay it forward, make our first pay it forward call and you can nominate neighbors, family members, yourself. A lot of calls from teachers who have students that are struggling, your parents, you know, everybody's parents have made sacrifices for them. There's a lot of different, a lot of different options.

[Caller Chris]

Hello?

[Host Jen Hobby]

Hi, can I please speak to Chris?

[Caller Chris]

This is Chris.

[Host Jen Hobby]

Hi Chris. This is Jen Hobby and the rest of the Burt show on Q100.

[Caller Chris]

Oh, hey, how are you?

[Host Jen Hobby]

I'm doing well. You're on the radio right now.

[Caller Chris]

Oh, awesome.

[Host Chris]

Everybody say hi, how are you?

[Caller Chris]

Hey, I'm sorry.

[Host Chris]

It's okay. If we're not mistaken, you had sent us an email or actually had sent our pay it forward email account. A couple of requests for some help that you could use this holiday season in exchange for promising to pay it forward.

[Caller Chris]

Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Awesome.

[Host Chris]

We would love to share your email with Atlanta if you have a minute.

[Caller Chris]

Okay, that sounds good.

[Host Jen Hobby]

Chris wrote to us. He said, Dear Burchau, I was hoping that you would consider helping me get my son back home to me for Christmas. Last month, right after my son's eighth birthday, my ex wife and her army husband moved to Germany for the next two to three years with my eight year old son. When I found out that his stepdad was being stationed overseas, I was devastated. I'm not ashamed to say that I spent many nights crying and trying to figure out what was best for my son. Although it was hard for me, I realized the great cultural opportunity that existed for Connor and decided not to file for custody. Already when I've talked to him, I can tell he's already experiencing a lot of great new adventures. Before they left, my ex wife and I had worked out a deal where they would fly home for the Christmas break. Getting tickets out of Frankfurt and into Atlanta this close to the season is very expensive and due to my being unemployed last year, unfeasible. Connor is my whole world, and the thought of celebrating Christmas without him is almost unbearable. Just the way he lights up when he talks about Christmas or the way he smiles as he decorates the tree brings joy to my heart and memories that fill the void until he comes home again. I'm not generally the kind of man that asks for help, but I hope you will consider my request.

[Host Chris]

So how long has it been since you've seen Connor?

[Caller Chris]

He left the day after his birthday, so November 9th.

[Host Chris]

We. And, you know, we understand that there's nothing more frustrating than having, like, a plan, you know, in place and like, counting down to Christmas and counting down to see him and then having it not happen and not be feasible for whatever reason, whether it's unemployment or timing or scheduling. That's just. I mean, that's heartbreaking because it was there and now it's gone.

[Caller Chris]

Yeah. I mean, I was really looking forward to seeing him, obviously. I mean, I'm just. I just love spending time with him. And like I said, I knew it was a good opportunity for him, but I was hopeful to see him, you know, pretty often. And I mean, I understood why the army limited it to the troops, limited the flights to the troops, but it still was very difficult for me. Right.

[Host Chris]

Especially with the, you know, with the expectation that it was going to happen. We've. We got your email and Tracy got your email and brought it in front of us and in front of the Georgia's own people and the Chipper Jones family Foundation, and. And we think we can bring Connor home for you.

[Caller Chris]

That sounds great. I really appreciate that.

[Host Chris]

We will bring him back from Frankfurt and he will be here in time for Christmas and he will be waking up at your house on Christmas morning.

[Caller Chris]

That sounds wonderful. I really appreciate it, guys. I mean, it's just awesome. I appreciate it.

[Host Chris]

The only thing that we ask in exchange, and maybe you can do this when Connor's in town is find some little way to pay it forward. We know finances are tight, so it doesn't have to be finances. It doesn't have to be money. It can be, you know, anything. Yeah.

[Host Jen Hobby]

Some sort of act of service or anything.

[Caller Chris]

Yeah, yeah. I'll definitely try and figure out something to do. I mean, it's just. Yeah, I'll definitely put out something.

[Co-host Dale]

It's an.

[Caller Chris]

I really appreciate it.

[Co-host Dale]

It's another great experience for your son. You and your son can do it together, and you can teach him the whole concept to pay it forward, you know?

[Caller Chris]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, he's. He's such a giving child anyway. I mean, he just. He's such a delight. I mean, I just. I love him so much. I'm glad that y' all are gonna be able to help me out here.

[Host Chris]

So saying congratulations seems odd or seems strange, but how about Merry Christmas? Yeah. Merry Christmas. And happy holidays. And you. You will be celebrating Christmas with your son. And we certainly look forward to hearing after the holidays how everything went.

[Caller Chris]

Definitely, guys. I'll definitely let y' all know.

[Host Chris]

Okay. Congratulations.

[Host Jen Hobby]

Merry Christmas.

[Host Chris]

Merry Christmas.

[Host Jen Hobby]

Merry Christmas.

[Host Chris]

Happy holidays. God, you guys are right. Hold on. Okay.

[Caller Chris]

Okay.

[Host Chris]

All right. What time is it in Germany? Cause he. When can you. Is it two? Can you call your son now?

[Host Jen Hobby]

They're ahead of us.

[Caller Chris]

It's about six hours in advance. So what is it now? 8:30? It's about 2:30 there. So he's still in school for just a little bit longer.

[Host Chris]

That's gonna be a long hour or two until he gets home. And you can call him. Tracy will be in touch with you and work out all the details. Okay.

[Caller Chris]

Okay. That sounds wonderful.

[Host Chris]

You're welcome. Happy holidays.

[Caller Chris]

Thank you.

[Host Chris]

Don't forget to pay it forward.

[Caller Chris]

Absolutely.

[Host Chris]

Thank you for listening.

[Co-host Dale]

You don't know how to end it.

[Host Chris]

No, I don't.

[Host Jen Hobby]

Yeah, it's okay.

[Host Chris]

You know what? I gotta be honest with you. That threw me off. Don't remember to pay it for. It really did feel good.

[Host Jen Hobby]

See?

[Host Chris]

Yeah. I'm not used to.

[Co-host Dale]

You don't know what to do when you're being charitable. It's better.

[Host Jen Hobby]

It's better when you're giving than when you're getting.

[Host Chris]

Yeah, I'm not used to.

[Co-host Dale]

You can't sit still, Dale. Look at you.

[Host Chris]

I'm not used to giving. Feeling so good.

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