Virginia man to give away engagement ring to 'lucky couple'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An engagement ring is displayed at a jewelry store in Tokyo, Japan, June 2, 2009. (Reuters)
A Virginia man is giving away his engagement ring for free, hoping to parlay his heartbreak into a happy ending for another couple.
Steven Crocker is soliciting stories from couples who want to tie the knot, but can't afford a ring, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
Crocker said his girlfriend broke up with him just a month before he planned to propose last year, ending his romance before his already planned proposal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“She’s a big Harry Potter fan, so I had this big thing all planned at Universal Studios,” he said. “All paid for and everything.”
To the victor goes the spoils of a $1,700 diamond ring he “never got to use.”
"I want to give it to a guy or girl who is so in love with their significant other and wants to take the next step but cannot afford a ring. I don’t think that anyone on MY friends list falls in that category, but someone out there does, which is why sharing this post is very much appreciated. I’ll send it anywhere in the U.S. where someone is head-over-heels," he wrote in a Facebook post.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The WAVY-TV camera operator said after some "sad music and lots of crying," he took the ring back last week from his mother, who had confiscated it because it was too hard for him to look at.
Crocker said he and some friends will evaluate short videos from hopeful couples.
“It’s not the fanciest ring in the world,” he wrote. “But it can potentially make someone very happy for the rest of their life.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He said the giveaway is "more about hope than loss" — and that matchmaking offers have already come in.
In a recent addendum to his Facebook post, Crocker said he has received over 400 love stories so far, and won’t pick a “lucky couple” until he’s read all of the submissions.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.