Man Raises Money for Engagement Ring Standing on Street in Underwear

There are a number of different ways to pay for an engagement ring: You can put away a portion of your salary at each paycheck, you can finance it on a credit card or through a personal loan, you can borrow funds from family members or friends, split the cost with your partner, or you can tap into a pre-existing savings. Another option? Supplement your existing income with another revenue stream. That’s exactly what one Maryland man is doing right now, though he is taking an unusual approach. Instead of taking on a part-time job during nights or weekends, he’s standing on busy street corners in his underwear while holding up a sign outlining his goal.

According to the New York Post, a Maryland-based performance artist named Ham has been standing on street corners around the world to raise the necessary funds to purchase an engagement ring for his girlfriend of seven months, Alma. “Alma is awesome because she does what she loves every day, training horses,” the man told the outlet. “What I love most about her is the respect she commands from her animals, and the care she gives them. I’m a farm boy at heart, and thus a sucker for a horse girl.”

So far, he’s been spotted in New York city, Berlin, and London; he stands in just underwear and socks, holding a sign that says “Engagement Ring Savings Fun” and lists his Venmo information. His goal, he explained to the Post, is to buy the “biggest rock he can afford” by summer. “I’ve been approached by a few jewelry makers who’ve expressed interest in using a design I’ve come up with that will hopefully suit Alma perfectly,” he also noted.

Though Ham didn’t want to share how much money he’s raised so far, he did note that most people contribute a dollar; he did add that he’s received a few $50 and $100 bills, and that the final ring he purchases will be a true “crowd-sourced” effort.

While his end goal is to fund his girlfriend’s dream engagement ring, the man noted that his efforts go deeper than just that. “It’s a social commentary on what we are comfortable with in advertising being disconnected from what we are comfortable with in society,” he told the Post. It’s also taught Ham a great deal about other people, he added. “What I’ve learned most from doing this social experiment is the institution of marriage is one of the most powerful in the world. A London gallery owner told me if I was asking for money to feed myself, no one would help.”

As for what Alma thinks of Ham standing on street corners, nearly nude, to purchase her engagement ring? According to the Post, she didn’t know about his plans when he left for his travels.