Tulsa Jewelry Store Offering Free Valentine's Day Gift For Unemployed

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- There is always a certain pressure associated with Valentine's Day gift giving. Now, imagine that pressure if you were unemployed.

A Tulsa jewelry store has stepped in with a pressure relief plan.

Tom Gancarz and Gary Koenig, recently laid off Tulsa police officers, visited Cunningham Fine Jewelry on Tuesday to pick up a free Valentine's Day gift for their wives.

"My wife and I weren't gonna do anything. Our Valentine's was gonna be our trip to Texas," said Gary Koenig, a former Tulsa police officer.

The trip to Texas Koenig is referring to is a recruiting trip, to see if he could find a job down there.

But Vicki Cunningham told her husband that's not good enough for Valentine's Day.

"It's a special time to tell someone that you love them and we just had to do something special," said Vicki Cunningham, of Cunningham Fine Jewelry.

So they came up with a free gift idea for folks who've lost their jobs and for whom Valentine's might be a dud.

"We wanted to make sure you had a Valentine gift for your wife," said Vicki Cunningham.

A string of pearls and some candy seemed about right and it's not just for unemployed cops, it's for anyone who has lost his job. Cunningham Fine Jewelry did this last year at Mother's Day for moms whose son was overseas. This year Valentine's Day is the focus.

As for our two former Tulsa police officers, Gary Koenig is putting his house on the market this week. He's looking out of state.

"We haven't moved that far, but as far as moving to a different state or city, we are considering that," said Tom Gancarz, a former Tulsa police officer.

Cunningham Fine Jewelry is located at 5211 East 41st Street in Tulsa. They'll be open on Sunday this week for those last minute shoppers.