Once again, Australia's "Egg Boy" has proven to be not the hero we deserve, but the one we need.
Will Connolly, you may recall, is the teenager who became an instant star after smashing an egg over the head of a racist, xenophobic Australian politician following the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand. And now he's donating legal funds raised for him on GoFundMe to victims of the shooting.
While it's been known for a few months now that Connolly was going to donate the money, the teen posted on his Instagram account on Tuesday that he finally had made the donation, totaling nearly $100,000 AUSD.
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In the wake of the Christchurch mosque shooting, which killed 51 people, far right Australian politician Fraser Anning issued a statement directly blaming Muslim immigrants for the attacks, saying, "The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place."
Tweet may have been deleted
Connolly responded by egging Anning at a public appearance, which earned the teen a punch in the face from the politician and then a gang-tackling by Anning's entourage.
Tweet may have been deleted
In the wake of the incident, money was raised for Connolly's legal fees and "more eggs" on GoFundMe, across two fundraisers. That money was then handed over to Gordon Legal, who, as Connolly notes, handled his representation pro bono. So it appears as if all the money he eventually received did, indeed, go to the charities.
In a statement to Mashable, GoFundMe said of the money:
The GoFundMe trust, safety and happiness teams were involved in the donation process. They are a focused group of experts who interact with campaign organisers to ensure that donations get into the hands of the intended recipients and ensure GoFundMe is the safest place to give.
GoFundMe also offers an industry first guarantee for crowdfunding. The GoFundMe Guarantee ensures funds raised go the right person, the donor's intentions are honored and the recipient gets the help they need. In the case that funds do not go to the intended recipient, GoFundMe will refund all donors.
The GoFundMe Guarantee adds unprecedented security to all stages of the giving experience. You can read more here: https://www.gofundme.com/guarantee-refund-policy
To find out more about the organizations Connolly's funds are going to, check out The Christchurch Foundation and Victim Support.
UPDATE: May 29, 2019, 8:22 a.m. EDT Updated to include information from GoFundMe.
TopicsActivismSocial Good
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