STATEN ISLAND N.Y.--A Dongan Hills jewelry store is again inviting Staten Island lovebirds to "Race for the Ring" -- a $10,000 Vanna K engagement ring.
To register for the second annual competition, couples must visit Casale Jewelers' page at facebook.com/sijeweler and post a picture of themselves. Then folks can visit the page to vote for their favorite couple.
The 10 couples with the most votes will move on to the next round. Ultimately, five couples will participate in an "Amazing Race"-style competition May 3 that begins in Nicotra's Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield and ends at Casale Jewelers -- with a proposal.
"An engagement is something special that couples will remember for the rest of their lives," said Cory Schifter, owner of Casale's Jewelers. "The contest is like any relationship: You have to put in a lot of effort for it to work. But, in the end, you learn to work together. Plus, one lucky couple will start their lives together with a free engagement ring."
"It really saved us a nice chunk of change," said Travis resident Richard Pierce, who won last year's Race for the Ring with his fiancée, Luci Ann Corcillo. "Now we will be able to have a luxurious honeymoon instead of having to pay off the bill for an engagement ring."
In order to qualify to compete, couples must be at least 21 years old and cannot have been married or engaged before.
In addition to Nicotra's Ballroom, the other participating businesses include Partners in Sound Productions, A.F. Bennett, Clark's House of Flowers, Uniquely Yours, Industry Magazine, Joey G. Video Production, FavorIt, Dante Tuxedos and NYC Arts Cypher.