It has been 50 years since John Spinello invented the game Operation, and now, friends and fans are raising funds for his own health care.
The 77-year-old needs $25,000 for oral surgery, but is having difficulty footing such a hefty bill, The Huffington Post says. A group of friends, also toy designers, have started a crowdfunding campaign, and Spinello is signing Operation games to raise money. In December, an original prototype of the game will be auctioned off, and will likely bring in thousands of dollars.
Spinello invented the game as an industrial design student at the University of Illinois; he was assigned the task of creating an electric game where the user could not touch the metal edges with a metal wand. "I got an A," he told The Huffington Post. This led to a meeting with toy designer Marvin Glass (the man behind Lite Brite and Mouse Trap), who offered Spinello $500 ($3,771 today) and a job upon graduation.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The promised job never appeared, and he was paid only after calling the office several times, but Spinello said he isn't bitter. "I prefer not to dwell on that aspect and focus more on the joy the game has brought to so many over the years," he said.
-
How will the new Repayment Assistance Plan for student loans work?the explainer The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will replace existing income-driven repayment plans
-
In the Spotlight Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been at odds with US forces
-
Music reviews: Ethel Cain, Amaarae, and The Black KeysFeature "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You," "Black Star," and "No Rain, No Flowers"
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
