ISU FOOTBALL

'GameDay' sign-holder reaches more than $225,000 in total donations after story appears on ESPN

Aaron Calvin
The Des Moines Register

When Carson King held up a sign asking for Busch Light money on ESPN's "College GameDay," he was surprised to receive hundreds of dollars which he decided he would donate to the University of Iowa's Stead Children's Hospital. 

When the word got out that King's beer money was going to a good cause, more donations poured in and the number climbed into the thousands.

Carson King holds up his "Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished" sign behind the stage at ESPN's "College GameDay" event at the Cy-Hawk game in Ames on Saturday.

Busch Light, the beer brand that appeared on King's sing, and Venmo, the digital payments company that also appeared on his sign, both offered to match the amount raised in donations to the Children's Hospital, tripling the total amount profile. 

Wednesday night, King's story appeared on ESPN once again when it was featured on Scott Van Pelt's "One Last Thing" segment. Over the course of two and a half minutes, Van Pelt laid out King's story of selflessness, noting that the hospital the donations are going to is the same one that receives "the wave" at every Hawkeye game.

Van Pelt signed off the segment by quoting the classic "Field of Dreams" line: "Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa."

Since his appearance on Van Pelt's segment, King's donations have risen to $75,000. With his two promises to match from Busch Light and Venmo, that brings King's current total to donate to the Children's Hospital up to $225,000. 

King has received support and donations from people across Iowa and the country. Numerous former University of Iowa Hawkeye players have reached out to his brother and King, himself, has received support from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller, a Cedar Rapids native.

Nearly a week after he appeared with his sign on "College GameDay," King's story only continues to grow. 

Aaron Calvin covers trending news for the Register. Reach him at acalvin@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @aaronpcalvin.

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