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Lifestyle & Human Interest

Woman Donates 5.5 Carat Diamond Worth $235,000 to Charity

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After speaking at an event in Las Vegas the founder of a Cleveland-area charity was approached by a woman who had a generous, yet unusual donation — a 5.5 carat diamond worth an estimated $235,000.

Now, the charity is looking for the perfect buyer to help fund their efforts.

Alex Sheen started “Because I Said I Would” in 2012, after his father died.

The organization encourages people to make promises — to themselves, to others or to loved ones who have passed away — and keep them.

In seven years, “Because I Said I Would” has distributed over 11.3 million promise cards to more than 150 countries around the world.

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Recently, however, the organization has expanded its work to also teach character education programs in schools, juvenile detention centers and jails.

Sheen told WEWS the character development training teaches “concepts like honesty, self control, accountability and taking those lessons and putting them into action through volunteer projects.”

“Because what is volunteerism other than a promise to help someone in need?” he added.

As the nonprofit considered how to fund its newest endeavors, however, it knew that the time had come to sell its back-up plan — a diamond secured in an undisclosed bank vault.

In 2016, after speaking at an event in Las Vegas, Sheen said he was approached by a woman who explained she had recently gone through a divorce.

The woman said she wasn’t sure what to do with the diamond from her ring.

But as she heard Sheen talk about “Because I Said I Would” and the mission behind it, she knew that the diamond could help support the nonprofit.

View this post on Instagram

A $235,000 diamond (5.54 carats) has been donated to the because I said I would charity. Our nonprofit is at a pivotal moment in its trajectory where our programs are in great need, but this incredibly generous donation cannot make an impact unless we can find a buyer. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find someone who is in the market for a diamond of this size. But at the same time, the #becauseisaidiwould movement spans the entire earth. If enough of our supporters shared this message maybe we have a shot at finding a person who wants to support the nonprofit through this purchase. 100% of the proceeds will go to help fuel our charitable programs. Will you help us spread the word? To learn more about the diamond, see the video or for our contact information, please visit becauseisaidiwould.org/thediamond. Link in bio.

A post shared by because I said I would. (@becauseisaidiwould) on

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After getting the diamond appraised, Sheen decided to hold on to it until a time when his organization might be struggling financially.

“Here’s the thing about running a charity,” he explained in a Facebook video, “your fundraising comes in waves. Sometimes you have a really good years or really good half-year or whatever then you have these valleys that if you can’t survive, it means that you have to pack things up.”

“It’s incredibly difficult for an organization to survive those moments. So the decision was made to take this diamond and put it in hiding.”



Now, in order to continue funding the growth of the character development training program, Sheen decided it was time to finally sell the diamond to a generous buyer who wanted to the money to go toward a good cause.

The organization shared Sheen’s video describing the diamond and its origins in the hopes of finding that perfect buyer.

“Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find someone who is in the market for a diamond of this size,” the post read.

“But at the same time, the #becauseisaidiwould movement spans the entire earth.”

“If enough of our supporters shared this video, maybe we have a shot at finding a person who wants to support the nonprofit through this purchase.”

To learn more about the diamond, you can visit the nonprofit’s website by clicking this link.

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Kayla has been a staff writer for The Western Journal since 2018.
Kayla Kunkel began writing for The Western Journal in 2018.
Birthplace
Tennessee
Honors/Awards
Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts
Location
Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
News, Crime, Lifestyle & Human Interest




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