On Thursday, nine Iowa Busch Light wholesalers representing 13 different distributors announced they had come together to round a viral fundraiser up to a cool $3 million. The $2,959,336 was raised in what began as a joke when Carson King of Altoona held up a sign asking for Busch Light money on ESPN’s College Game Day show during the annual Iowa/Iowa State rivalry game. After money started rolling in, King said he was going to donate the proceeds to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City. Anheuser Busch and Venmo, the payment account King used, both jumped on board right away, announcing they would match whatever King raised through Sept. 30. Jim Auen, President of Ike Auen Distributing, Co. in Carroll, says this was a great cause and they made their first donation at the onset.
After the total was announced on Monday night, the wholesalers in Iowa got together, and through contacts at the regional office in St. Louis, agreed to bring the total up to King’s identified goal. Auen says it only took a couple of hours for all the wholesalers to be contacted and jump on board with the roughly $41,000 donation. He adds the outpouring of support from residents, businesses and wholesalers is not really all that surprising.
This gift is a way for the Busch Light wholesalers to give to a cause that is used by residents in their regions as well.
And even though Auen is a graduate and staunch supporter of Iowa State University, he says at the end of the day, we are all Iowans; and this story of generosity and giving tells everyone exactly what that means.
