The story of a recent diamond heist at the Burnaby Neighbourhood House inspired a Vancouver jeweler to donate a replacement worth more than the original gem.
Vancouver Diamonds has donated a $6,000-diamond to the Burnaby Neighbourhood House, following a theft early Sunday morning that left the non-profit organization without a prize for its annual fundraiser gala.
“This is a good-news follow-up that demonstrates how wonderful people can be,” said executive director Antonia Beck in an email to the NOW. “(Wednesday), I received a wonderful surprise call from Josh Raber, owner of Vancouver Diamonds saying that he will donate a 0.9 karat heart-shaped diamond with a certificate for setting to our 2016 gala fundraiser, valued at $6,000. We truly appreciate all support and the concern that we continue to receive from the community. The tradition of the diamond draw at our gala will continue thanks to Vancouver Diamonds.”
The Burnaby Neighbourhood House runs a variety of programs and helps build community by hosting events that connect residents. Early Sunday morning, thieves broke into the organization’s Beresford Street location and made off with a massive safe containing a donated diamond worth $5,000. The organization was planning to give the jewel away as a prize at the Feb. 27 Diamond Ball Gala.
Raber told the NOW he donated the diamond after seeing the story on the news.
“You can get angry about something like that, or you can do the right thing,” he said. “Owning a business and wanting to give back to the community was something I’d been thinking about for a while, so why not start with this?”
Now that Raber has donated the diamond, he is considered a sponsor for the event, and he’s entitled to attend the ball with nine guests.
Burnaby RCMP are investigating the crime and have obtained some security camera footage, Beck said. Someone also recently used the organization's Chevron credit card that was stolen from the safe, she added.
