Feb 13, 2008 5:46 pm US/Eastern
One "Love Note", One Diamond Ring
Proceeds Of The Ring Will Go To The Army's Rehabilitation Center
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
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The raffle winner will remain anonymous so he may give the diamond engagement ring as a gift.
CBS
A diamond ring which found its way to the Salvation Army Family Store in Ft. Lauderdale was raffled off Wednesday to a winner who says he's been married to his wife for 29 years, and will give it to her during their 30th anniversary.
Andre Kerik, 60, of West Kindall said, "I'm ecstatic. It's the first time I ever won anything."
Along with ninety-nine other "love note" buyers who bought a ticket for $25, Kerik was waiting to hear who would win the $2,000 diamond ring.
Dr. Brenda C. Snipes, Broward Supervisor of Elections, officiated the process. The proceeds of the ring will go to the Army's rehabilitation center, which houses 100 men.
Administrator of the Salvation Army, Captain Henry Hudson recalled how "a woman came in to one of our stores and she said 'here we want you to have this.'"
Workers at the store said they were not sure what to think when they received it.
"We never know whether it's custom jewelry or she didn't say whether it was or not," explained Hudson. "So we kept it for a while thinking maybe she is going to change her mind, but she never came back."
The diamond engagement ring has a center stone of one-half a carat and is surrounded by 16 diamond chips. The ring was appraised at about $2000.
Rather than sell the ring, the Salvation Army Family Store announced it would sell 100 "Love Notes" to the public.
The raffle coincided one day before Valentine's Day, and Kerik said he would likely present it to his wife in the evening.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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