He Asked for Money for Beer, Got $1M

When Carson King held up a sign reading "Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished" along with his Venmo username at an Iowa college football game earlier this month, he didn't expect anyone would actually send him money. But King and his sign were broadcast on national television thanks to ESPN's "College GameDay" coverage of the Sept. 14 match-up between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones, and a half-hour later, 24-year-old King had an extra $400 in his account. He decided that he would indeed use some of the money to buy one case of Busch Light, but he'd donate the rest to University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital—and that decision ultimately resulted in, so far, more than $1 million being raised for the hospital.

As King's story and his decision to donate the bulk of the money went viral, more people donated—and eventually, Busch Beer and Venmo got in on the action, promising to match King's donation. As of Monday morning, King tweeted that the total contribution was at $1,065,000, and it will surely go even higher since the campaign runs until the end of the month. CNN reports that Busch Beer also promised King a year's supply of beer—and it tweeted Friday that said beer would appear in special cans bearing King's face and the words, "Carson King, Iowa Legend." (More uplifting news stories.)