A challenge from a Minnesota Vikings fan to support New Orleans Saints' punter Thomas Morstead's charity has beaten all expectations.
The online effort has been the feel-good story of the week, as more than 5,140 people with Minnesota addresses have given more than $200,000 to Morstead's What You Give Will Growfoundation.
Morstead announced he would give all the Minnesota money to Children's Minnesota. He also said he'd deliver the check in person if the grass roots effort reached $100,000, the initial goal. That mark was shattered in just 12 hours and the effort kept gaining momentum.
As of midday Friday, the total raised was more than $221,000 with two days remaining in the challenge.
"It was like a snowball and it kept rolling from there," Morstead said earlier this week as he tracked donations.
To show their gratitude, Children's Minnesota patients, families and staff created a video titled, "Hey Thomas Morstead our little Skoldiers have a message for you!"
"We want to thank you for your gracious donations to our Child Life Department; we'll put it to good use," a nurse wearing Vikings horns says to open the 1-minute, 13-second clip posted on the hospital's Facebook page. "When it comes to children, we are all on the same team," staff members say at the video's close.
Most donations were small: $10 here, $25 there. Some were larger. Love Your Melon, the local apparel brand dedicated to fighting childhood cancer, gave $10,000.
