A joke sign at a football game sparks a fundraiser for a good cause


Carson King thought the funny sign he made for the Iowa State and University of Iowa football game over the weekend might help him make some beer money, never dreaming that he would eventually accrue $100,000.
King, 24, ended up standing behind a commentator for ESPN's College GameDay, holding his sign that read "Busch Light supply needs replenished." Underneath his message, King added his Venmo name, and within an hour, he had $400 in donations from people who saw him on camera. By the time he had $600, King's thoughts turned to something other than beer, and he decided he would donate the money to charity.
After discussing the matter with family and friends, King decided to use a few dollars to buy a case of Busch Light, with the rest of the money going directly to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. "They do so much," he told Today. "It's incredible." Word spread, and as donations continued to come in, Busch and Venmo both told King they'd like to match all the money he raises. As of Thursday, that's a hefty $100,000. King will keep the fundraiser going until Sept. 30, and is appreciative of all the donations he's received so far, from 25 cents to $300. "Anything is incredible," he said. Catherine Garcia
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.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.