A drawing for a pendant was a great Valentine’s Day gift for both the winner Natasha Stringer and the Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s INSPIRE special needs program.

Natasha Stringer of Evergreen won a diamond necklace Friday in a drawing sponsored by Pandora John Properties. Stringer’s son, Timothy, has participated in the INSPIRE program before he died last fall.

“When I bid on the necklace, I had a thought that winning this necklace would be the sign of Timothy reaching out to me, sending his love from the great beyond, transcending time and space,” Stringer wrote in a statement. “The necklace design reminded me of both a blossom and sunshine, so when I saw the pendant, I thought of how it reminded me of Timothy’s sparkling and bright personality because Timmy truly was like sunshine.”

She said INSPIRE made a huge impact on Timothy’s quality and enjoyment of life and gave him many reasons to smile.

Four hundred people entered the Sparkle for Special Needs drawing and raised $7,500 to help INSPIRE provide people with disabilities opportunities and a quality of life that they otherwise would not have.

Maren Schreiber, EPRD’s special populations coordinator, said it was even more special that Stringer won the pendant because of Timothy’s involvement in INSPIRE.

The winning name was drawn from a box by Suzanne Cannon of Evergreen, who thought up the fundraising idea. She went to friends Pandora and John Erlandson of PJP Properties, and the entire team got involved in the fundraiser.

The Erlandsons purchased the necklace at cost from Daniel Diamonds in Bergen Park, where it has been displayed and where the winning name was drawn.