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Mystery Find in The Salvation Army Kettle 1/16/12
Mystery Find in The Salvation Army Kettle 1/16/12
CBS 7 Reporter
smurray@cbs7.com
January 16, 2012
Odessa, TX - A mysterious find in a red kettle has the Salvation Army searching for answers.
The Salvation Army in Odessa had a successful holiday season with donations almost doubling.
But now they want to give one of those donations back.
"We don't know who it belongs to…there was no note," explains Odessa Salvation Army Lt. Stephen Correira.
Last year the Salvation Army in Odessa raised $61,000 in red kettle donations and this year they nearly doubled that with over $120,000. They say it's a sign of a good economy. But found amongst the cash this year was a different kind of donation...a diamond ring.
The familiar sound of bell ringers serves as a reminder to think of those in need during the holidays.
But inside the red kettle, The Salvation Army in Odessa commonly finds items other than money.
"Usually we see a lot of gum wrappers, candy wrappers, foreign money, paper clips. We’ve even seen a marshmallow Santa Claus thrown in the kettle before," explains Lt. Correira
But among the loose change and wrappers...there was a sparkle.
It was something that cost more than just a drop in the bucket.
"We just opened up one of the kettles one day and there was this engagement ring."
A diamond ring with no explanation as to how it got there. The Salvation Army doesn't think it was intentional.
"If it was in someone’s pocket and they planned to propose and when they dropped in the change they accidentally dropped it in there…someone paid hard earned money for this and we want to make sure it gets back in their hand,” says Correira. "Every donation there's a story...and I know there's a story here."
If you think the ring belongs to you, visit the Salvation Army in Odessa at 811 East 10th Street or give them a call at 432-332-0738. If you're description matches, the diamond is all yours.
In Midland red kettle donations actually went down this year.
In 2010 the Salvation Army raised $89,000 from the donations, but this last year that number was surprisingly low at $75,000.
Captain Tex Ellis says the lack of bell ringers is the reason for the drop.
And while they didn't find jewelry, they did find a gold coin that they sold for $1,000 dollars.