On Saturday, 11 friends from Fortuna High School sat down to a prom dinner at

but when they got their menus, the waiter had an odd request.

Kim Emmons, Fortuna High parent, said when her daughter, McKenzie, came home after the dance, she said, “You’ll never believe what happened, Mom. This man paid for our dinner. The waiter told us we should order whatever we wanted.”

According to the waiter, there was one stipulation though…everyone needed to stay off their phones. So…the kids gave the waiter their phones. He placed them on a tray and took the devices away.

Emmons said her daughter told her, “It was so nice without distractions [we] just talked all night long.” Emmons said that her daughter said that the kids continued to have good conversations throughout the night even at the dance.

Throughout the dinner, the prom goers looked around the room filled with other prom dates and those just enjoying a Saturday dinner out wondering who their secret benefactor was. They chatted and laughed having a wonderful time, according to Emmons. “My daughter said that the dinner was amazing, too.”

“I think it was neat because they were able to create memories instead of looking at their phones,” Emmons told us.

After the dinner, Emmons explained, a nice older gentleman came to the students’ table and told them “he thought they were a beautiful group and it reminded him of when he was young” which is why he had purchased their meals.

To this day, the students and their parents have no idea who he was.

“This is something they will always remember,” Emmons said. “I don’t think that man realizes how much of an impact that was on those kids. And, all of us parents.”

Emmons posted about the special dinner on Facebook ending her post with…”Thank you to the gentleman that not only paid for their dinner, but taught them you can have a really good time without technology.”