A man who was looking for a way to raise a little beer money says he is donating the nearly $30,000 he got after holding up a sign on national TV to a children’s hospital.
Carson King took advantage of ESPN's "College GameDay" which was broadcast from Ames, Iowa, last Saturday, to hold up a sign asking for money to restock his dwindling supply of Busch Light beer, according to a story from CNN.
King’s sign, which read, "Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished,” included details on how to donate to his Venmo account – a mobile payment service -- should anyone want to help.
According to King, within 30 minutes he had more than $400 in donations. When the donations reached $1,600, he tweeted that he’d donate the money to the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital – minus the cost of a case of Busch.
The hospital sits adjacent to the school’s Kinnick Stadium. Often children who are able will watch the game from the hospital's windows.
Busch Light’s social media team saw King’s tweet about the donation and decided to make one of their own. The beer makers pledged to match King’s donation, and to supply him with some beer.
When Venmo saw King’s tweet and the offer from Busch to match it, the company vowed to do the same.
King, who works for on a rapid response team at Prairie Meadows Casino, attended Iowa State University for two years. His mother, Dana Archer-King of Prairie City, told the Des Moines Register that she knew what her son planned to do, but never imagined it would turn out as it did.
"He had told me about it last Wednesday and, probably like most moms, I just laughed and thought, 'Great, this will be my proudest moment,'" Archer-King told the Register.
"He's not a wealthy kid by any means," she said. "I'm not sure how many 24-year-olds would just give that kind of money away. We're all so in awe with what he's doing."
King said he has received more than $29,000 as of Wednesday morning. With his donation and those of Busch and Venmo, the hospital stands to get a $90,000 windfall.
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