Homeless US Man Who Returned Diamond Engagement Ring Rewarded

Faline · #1 ● 02-27-2013, 05:00 PM

Sarah Darling's fiancé set up a website seeking donations for Billy Ray Harris, who frequently panhandles on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. By Tuesday morning, more than 6,000 people had donated more than $148,000 to the fund.
"I think in our world we often jump to like the worst conclusion, and it just makes you realise that there are good people out there," Ms Darling said.
Mr Harris discovered the ring about an hour after Darling dumped spare change from her coin purse into his cup. She had taken off her ring earlier that day and put it with the coins.
"The ring was so big that I knew if it was real, it was expensive," Mr Harris told KCTV.
Ms Darling was upset when she realised the next day what she had done. She went back to Mr Harris, squatted beside him and told him that she might have given him something valuable.
"'Was it a ring?'" he recalled asking her. "And she says, 'Yeah.' And I said 'Well, I have it.' "
Ms Darling gave Mr Harris all the cash she had in her wallet at the time.
"It seemed like a miracle," Ms Darling said. "I thought for sure there was no way I would get it back."
In explaining why he did not keep the ring, Mr Harris said he had a religious upbringing.
"My grandfather was a reverend," Mr Harris said. "He raised me from the time I was six months old and thank the good Lord, it's a blessing, but I do still have some character."

Megamel29 · #2 ● 02-27-2013, 05:31 PM

Would be nice if someone gave him a job. With the donations, maybe he can find a small apartment.

InbredMidget · #3 ● 02-27-2013, 07:14 PM

The fundraiser goes for another 78 days. Should just give him the money now, or some of it at least.

Darkest Angel · #4 ● 02-27-2013, 10:30 PM

Great story!!

DiamondSmiles · #5 ● 02-28-2013, 01:07 AM

Good for him!

Ugly ring! The more expensive, the uglier!

Took Brad Pitt a year designing her ring, and Angelina Jolie tried to be gracious when she got that ugly thing! It's no wonder she didn't want to wear it.

invertigo · #6 ● 02-28-2013, 02:41 AM

The was a story like this from California not too long ago. Some college student left his backpack at a train station with four thousand dollars in cash (he was on his way to buy a used car

). Some homeless guy doing community service found it and turned it in. When the reporters asked him why he didn't just keep it he said "It wasn't my money."
Personally, I find that an even more remarkable act than returning a ring to a woman who was kind to you. I've been homeless (never pan-handled, though) and if I'd found 4 grand anonymously lying around, at that point in my life, I'd have probably pocketed it.