In memory of Milton

It’s not every day that you hear of an obituary requesting a bet. However, a feature in The Hasting Tribune to commemorate the life of former Nebraska resident Milton A. Munson did just that recently, and the people have delivered in an astonishing fashion.

an irresponsibly large wager”

Munson, a 73-year-old war veteran who served in the US Air Force, followed the NCAA’s Nebraska Cornhuskers during his life. His sons posted an obituary in the local paper last week with a peculiar request. In memory of their father, they asked readers to place “an irresponsibly large wager” on the Huskers’ next game against the Iowa Hawkeyes this Friday.

As reported by the Lincoln Journal Star, two local radio hosts picked up the story this week and decided to make the Munsons’ wish come true. Together, they created a GoFundMe page to collect cash for a giant bet on the Cornhuskers, and so far they have raised around $8,739 of their $10,000 goal.

A staggering response

Radio hosts Josh Peterson of KOZN-AM and Jack Mitchell of KLIN-AM are the two spearheading the campaign. Speaking with the Lincoln Journal Star, Mitchell said: “Josh and I sort of hatched this Monday afternoon as this little thing. We thought we should just centralize it all and make one large bet on his behalf and remember Milt.”

A total of 125 people have donated to Munson’s cause so far. Peterson took to Twitter to thank everyone for their support on Tuesday when the GoFundMe donations hit almost $5,000:

Although the radio hosts plan to place a large wager with the money, they have confirmed that, as per the family’s wishes, the majority of the funds will go to a local charity called Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Nebraska. Any potential winnings from the bet will also go to the cause.

Go Huskers

So, what are the chances Nebraska will take victory in Friday’s game? Well, according to last week’s obituary, Munson was all too aware of the Cornhuskers’ poor performances so far this season.

“The grim reality of the Nebraska Cornhuskers finishing yet another season with a losing record proved to be too much to bear for Milton Andrew Munson, who decided he’d seen enough of this world during the team’s recent bye week,” the obituary joked. “The Huskers may not have sent him into the afterlife with a victory but at least they didn’t lose.”

The two radio hosts spearheading the campaign have not confirmed what percentage of the GoFundMe donations will go towards the wager. However, DraftKings is currently offering odds of -115 for the Huskers to take victory on Friday. That would return around $18,695 from a $10,000 bet.

Munson’s son Todd has some confidence that the Cornhuskers can get the win with a helping boost from his dad. “If the ghost of my old man can’t will the Huskers to victory on Friday, then they truly are a lost cause,” he said on Omaha’s KOZN-AM radio show.