Every year, the Salvation Army sets up in front of local businesses with their red buckets and bells, in hopes of receiving enough donations to help those who are less fortunate, each holiday season. This year, a very special donation was made…a diamond ring worth $3,500.

The ring was dropped in a bucket in South Florida on Wednesday, and was wrapped in a yellow piece of paper that read: “Continue your good caring for the needy in God’s name.” It is believed that the same woman, who remains anonymous, has donated large priced items before. Each year, the high-valued item is wrapped in a note with a similar message, and each year the Salvation Army receives a phone call telling them to check their buckets.

Linda Payton, of The Salvation Army’s Sunset Corps, was the first to realize that the same person was making the generous donations year after year. “For the 4th year in a row, we had an anonymous call from a lady saying there was something special in one of our kettles,” Payton said. “She told us approximately where it was. I took an empty kettle, went out and swapped them out, brought that one in. Sure enough, we had a surprise in there. A lovely ring.”

The Salvation Army will be auctioning off the ring to the highest bidder so that they can serve as many people as possible.

Image via Wikimedia Commons