In 2018, an unassuming, unusually tall duck first appeared on the University of York’s campus. Who could have known that years later a fundraising campaign in his honor would take flight?

The duck—dubbed Long Boi by students for his 70 centimeter (2 feet, 4 inches) height—became a celebrity on the U.K. campus. A student started an Instagram account for him; a Reddit post (erroneously) claimed he was the tallest mallard ever; the BBC’s Radio 1 and The Late Late Show with James Corden covered him.

“A lot of this happened over COVID. Going for walks was one of the few activities students could do during lockdown,” explained Jessica Elson, Philanthropy Manager. “It was quite a nice activity, especially because a lot of students at the time were missing their own pets and families.”

In 2023, when the duck went missing and the university announced Long Boi’s presumed passing, the York Student Union launched a crowdfunding campaign for a memorial. Run from mid-May to July 2023, the campaign raised £5,300 for a bronze statue, unveiled in September 2024.

York’s crowdfunding platform, started in 2015, is well established and supports several strands of projects.