Busch reinforces pledge to donate $1 million after Carson King used viral sign to fundraise for Children’s Hospital
Following the launch of the Carson King Foundation, Anheuser-Busch said the donation it agreed to match has not fallen though.
Carson King claps during a football game between Iowa and Middle Tennessee State University on Saturday, September 28, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Blue Raiders 48-3.
February 19, 2020
Five months after the “Iowa Legend” held up a sign about needing more Busch Light and took over the internet, prompting Iowa native Carson King to start his own foundation, Anheuser-Busch is reinforcing its commitment to making a nearly $1 million contribution to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Although the University of Iowa hasn’t yet received the donation, Dana Larson, the executive director of communication and marketing at the UI Center for Advancement, said Anheuser-Busch will pay its committed donation over a duration of time.
“We worked with the over 35,000 donors who gave through Venmo, along with Venmo themselves matching the donation and Anheuser-Busch who matched as well and we are incredibly thankful to Anheuser-Busch for its generous gift commitment to the University of Iowa,” Larson said.
After cutting ties with King after the rise of a 2011 tweet referencing the TV show Tosh.O, Anheuser-Busch continued to match its donation, The Daily Iowan previously reported.
Larson said because of donor privacy, the Center for Advancement was unable to discuss the donation information because no gift had yet been made and they can only disclose donations that have been made.
Eddie Moye, director for marketing communications at Anheuser-Busch, said the donation has not fallen through and both the hospital and the company are comfortable with the payment.
The date of the donation cannot be disclosed, Moye said, but the payment has been scheduled in full.
“The time that has passed has not been unreasonable, and upwards to a million dollars cannot happen overnight,” Moye said.
The donation is between the company and the hospital, Moye said, and bringing attention to such a large donation from a corporation minimizes the private donations from others, he said.
King was unable to be reached for comment at this time. He previously told the DI he is excited for what the future holds.
“[This experience] taught me how great people can be, how kind people are, how passionate they are about helping,” King said. “It’s really eye-opening to see all the good that’s in the world.”