Anheuser-Busch won't associate with Iowa State fan who raised $1M for children's hospital
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Anheuser-Busch distanced itself from Carson King, an Iowa State football fan who inadvertently kickstarted a fundraiser for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital that has now topped $1 million in donations.
The company will, however, donate the money it promised to the hospital.
King came to prominence on ESPN’s "College Gameday" show. Two weekends ago, he was holding a sign on the broadcast with his Venmo account details that read "Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished." The sign went viral, leading to hundreds of thousands in donations.
In response to this generosity, King said he would donate the money to Iowa’s children’s hospital. In turn, Anheuser-Busch and Venmo said they would match the contributions. All seemed good and positive until controversial tweets made by King as a 16-year-old came to light where he cited a bit from comedian Tosh.0 that had racial undertones.
Carson King appears on "Fox & Friends" on Sept. 21 to discuss how he raised money for charity after requesting beer money on television.
On Tuesday night, King posted a statement on Twitter where he called himself “embarrassed and stunned” by the surfacing of the tweets. He said that he didn’t remember making the posts.
"Carson King had multiple social media posts that do not align with our values as a brand or as a company and we will have no further association with him," an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told FOX Business. "We are honoring our commitment by donating more than $350,000 to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics."
The Stead Family Children’s Hospital has gained attention in recent years for a first quarter tradition during Iowa football games. Fans rise to their feet between the break during the quarters to wave at patients and families in the children’s hospital. The players and staffs of both teams often do the same. The hospital overlooks Kinnick Stadium, the home field of Iowa. Cancer patients are known to watch Iowa games from a pavilion that offers a great view of the field from several stories above the stadium.
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King claims to have raised $1.14 million in donations.