College Football Fan Gives $3 Million to Children’s Hospital After Asking for Beer Money on TV
The college football fan, who went viral last month with a sign asking for beer money, has now raised over $3 million for charity.
On Friday, Carson King presented a check for $3,004,000 to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, according to The Iowa City Press-Citizen. During the presentation, King — an Iowa State University fan — transferred the money from his Venmo account to the hospital alongside patient Camdyn Reisner.
About 35,000 people have donated to King’s Venmo account since he made headlines last month, the Press-Citizen reports.
Suresh Gunasekaran, the CEO of UI Hospitals and Clinics, called everyone who donated heroes on Friday, according to the Press-Citizen, and thanked King for “inspiring a whole nation.”
King, 24, posted a photo of the presentation to his Twitter account on Saturday, adding a simple caption: “Speechless.”
King first started getting donations to his Venmo account last month, after he made a homemade sign asking viewers of ESPN’s College GameDay to donate to his Venmo account so he could afford to stock up on beer.
“Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished,” read the sign, which was seen on TV during the match-up between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones.
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By the end of the day, he’d accumulated more than $1,000 — and quickly realized that the fast-growing cash would be put to better use at the children’s hospital, as opposed to his wallet.
“With all the donations my @CollegeGameDay sign for @BuschBeer has received, I will be donating all but enough for a case of Busch Light to @uiowa Children’s Hospital,” he wrote on Twitter on Sept. 14.
With all the donations my @CollegeGameDay sign for @BuschBeer has received, I will be donating all but enough for a case of Busch Light to @uiowa Children’s Hospital. We’re at over $1,600.00 right now! @CycloneATH @WideRtNattyLt @ChrisMWilliams Venmo Carson-King-25
— Carson King (@CarsonKing2) September 14, 2019
Within days, Busch Beer was on board too, and so was Venmo, with each company promising to match King’s donation — pushing his total above $1 million.
Earlier this month, King tweeted that he had crossed the $3 million mark.
“We Did It!” he wrote. “Thank you to all the Local Busch Light Distributors across the state for the final $41,000.00, making this last push possible! 3 Million Dollars for @UIchildrens!”
Last month, King told PEOPLE that he chose the hospital because “they are amazing at what they do” in helping patients and their families, and also because it shares a special connection to his love of football.
“The University of Iowa does the wave to the kids since the hospital overlooks the stadium, and being I’m an Iowa State University fan, I figured this would be my way to help out,” he said.
