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Organized by | Josh Swain |
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The Josh fight was a viral Internet meme, mock fight, and charity fundraiser at Air Park in Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 24, 2021, with a second edition of the event occurring at Bowling Lake Park in Lincoln on May 21, 2022.
The event was originally conceived by a civil engineering student named Josh Swain from Tucson, Arizona, on April 24, 2020, due to boredom during COVID-19 lockdowns. It gained popularity after a screenshot of a Facebook Messenger group chat involving several users named Josh Swain spread widely on the Internet.
Swain encouraged participants of the chat to meet at a set of coordinates one year hence and fight for the right to use the name " Josh." The event, though initially intended as a joke, drew a crowd of nearly a thousand on the day of the event. The gathering was lighthearted and there was no actual violence involved. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the event became a "global news phenomenon," [1] while a technology writer for The Guardian called it "perhaps the ultimate response to an online Doppelgänger." [2]
On April 24, 2020, several Facebook Messenger users named Josh Swain were added to a group chat that read,
– You're probably wondering why I've gathered you all here today
– Because we all share the same names....?
– Precisely, 4/24/2021, 12:00 PM, meet at these coordinates, ( 40°49′20″N 96°47′54″W / 40.8223286°N 96.7982002°W) we fight, whoever wins gets to keep the name, everyone else has to change their name, you have a year to prepare, good luck
joshua swain @joshswainaz there can only be one https://pic.twitter.com/VPamxjJ0yL
April 24, 2020 [3]
Swain explained the idea for the event was conceived out of boredom from the COVID-19 lockdowns. Swain had often experienced the frustration of being unable to receive an exclusive handle on social media because of other Josh Swains. [4] [5] He posted a screenshot of the conversation on Twitter the same day. The tweet received over 64,000 likes and 21,000 retweets within two weeks, surprising Swain. [4] [5] [3]
Although Swain said the tweet was "entirely a joke," the conversation became a meme on social media. [6] [7] Days before the event, Swain took to Reddit in order to announce a fundraiser for the event to benefit the Children's Hospital & Medical Center (CH&MC) Foundation in Omaha, along with a request for non-perishables to start a food drive for the Food Bank of Lincoln. [4] [6] [8] In the same post, Swain encouraged attendees to bring pool noodles as mock weapons for the planned fight. [9]
Swain had selected Lincoln, Nebraska as a site for the event due to its central location within the United States; the original randomly picked coordinates were located in a field on private property. The field's owner, however, did not agree to host "such a ridiculous event," [10] and as such the fight was relocated to Air Park, approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) away. [11] [12]
On the chosen day, nearly a thousand people, including at least 50 named Josh, congregated at Air Park. [4] [13] [14] Attendees came from as far as New York, Washington, and Texas, with some dressed in superhero and Star Wars costumes. [15] [16] [17] Three "fights" were held—one game of rock paper scissors for those named Josh Swain, a second with pool noodles for all attendees named Josh, and a third and final all-in battle for anyone in possession of a pool noodle willing to participate. [10] [18]
Only two of the individuals in attendance were named "Josh Swain"—Josh Swain, the event's creator, beat a rival 38-year-old Josh Swain from Omaha in the rock paper scissors event. [1] [13] [19] A local five-year-old boy named Josh Vinson Jr., dubbed "Little Josh," who had been treated at the CH&MC for seizures when he was two years old, was declared the overall winner. Vinson Jr. was crowned with a paper coronet from Burger King as well as a replica AEW World Championship belt. [12] [19] [20] Vinson Jr.'s father, Josh Vinson Sr., said afterward that his son "had the time of his life." [1]
The gathering raised US$14,355 for the Children's Hospital & Medical Center Foundation—far past its initial goal of US$1,000—and collected over 200 pounds (90 kg) of food for the nearby food bank. [4] [21] The CH&MC has since shown appreciation for the fundraiser on social media. [22] On May 6, 2021, Josh Cellars, a Californian winery, decided to triple the donation by donating $30,000 to the CH&MC. [23] The Wall Street Journal wrote that the event became a "global news phenomenon." [1]
The next year, a second edition of the event was held on May 21, 2022, at Bowling Lake Park. [24] [25] The anniversary event was organized by the Arizonan Swain, with donations once again going to the CH&MC. [26] [27] Around 200 people attended the event, including at least 20 people being named Josh. The redux raised US$20,576, with Josh Cellars agreeing to double the donation. [28] According to The Wall Street Journal, Swain would like to have the Josh fight occur annually, but said "he's not sure if he'll be able to keep it up." [29] There has not been a new event since 2022.
Date |
|
---|---|
Venue |
|
Organized by | Josh Swain |
Participants |
|
The Josh fight was a viral Internet meme, mock fight, and charity fundraiser at Air Park in Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 24, 2021, with a second edition of the event occurring at Bowling Lake Park in Lincoln on May 21, 2022.
The event was originally conceived by a civil engineering student named Josh Swain from Tucson, Arizona, on April 24, 2020, due to boredom during COVID-19 lockdowns. It gained popularity after a screenshot of a Facebook Messenger group chat involving several users named Josh Swain spread widely on the Internet.
Swain encouraged participants of the chat to meet at a set of coordinates one year hence and fight for the right to use the name " Josh." The event, though initially intended as a joke, drew a crowd of nearly a thousand on the day of the event. The gathering was lighthearted and there was no actual violence involved. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the event became a "global news phenomenon," [1] while a technology writer for The Guardian called it "perhaps the ultimate response to an online Doppelgänger." [2]
On April 24, 2020, several Facebook Messenger users named Josh Swain were added to a group chat that read,
– You're probably wondering why I've gathered you all here today
– Because we all share the same names....?
– Precisely, 4/24/2021, 12:00 PM, meet at these coordinates, ( 40°49′20″N 96°47′54″W / 40.8223286°N 96.7982002°W) we fight, whoever wins gets to keep the name, everyone else has to change their name, you have a year to prepare, good luck
joshua swain @joshswainaz there can only be one https://pic.twitter.com/VPamxjJ0yL
April 24, 2020 [3]
Swain explained the idea for the event was conceived out of boredom from the COVID-19 lockdowns. Swain had often experienced the frustration of being unable to receive an exclusive handle on social media because of other Josh Swains. [4] [5] He posted a screenshot of the conversation on Twitter the same day. The tweet received over 64,000 likes and 21,000 retweets within two weeks, surprising Swain. [4] [5] [3]
Although Swain said the tweet was "entirely a joke," the conversation became a meme on social media. [6] [7] Days before the event, Swain took to Reddit in order to announce a fundraiser for the event to benefit the Children's Hospital & Medical Center (CH&MC) Foundation in Omaha, along with a request for non-perishables to start a food drive for the Food Bank of Lincoln. [4] [6] [8] In the same post, Swain encouraged attendees to bring pool noodles as mock weapons for the planned fight. [9]
Swain had selected Lincoln, Nebraska as a site for the event due to its central location within the United States; the original randomly picked coordinates were located in a field on private property. The field's owner, however, did not agree to host "such a ridiculous event," [10] and as such the fight was relocated to Air Park, approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) away. [11] [12]
On the chosen day, nearly a thousand people, including at least 50 named Josh, congregated at Air Park. [4] [13] [14] Attendees came from as far as New York, Washington, and Texas, with some dressed in superhero and Star Wars costumes. [15] [16] [17] Three "fights" were held—one game of rock paper scissors for those named Josh Swain, a second with pool noodles for all attendees named Josh, and a third and final all-in battle for anyone in possession of a pool noodle willing to participate. [10] [18]
Only two of the individuals in attendance were named "Josh Swain"—Josh Swain, the event's creator, beat a rival 38-year-old Josh Swain from Omaha in the rock paper scissors event. [1] [13] [19] A local five-year-old boy named Josh Vinson Jr., dubbed "Little Josh," who had been treated at the CH&MC for seizures when he was two years old, was declared the overall winner. Vinson Jr. was crowned with a paper coronet from Burger King as well as a replica AEW World Championship belt. [12] [19] [20] Vinson Jr.'s father, Josh Vinson Sr., said afterward that his son "had the time of his life." [1]
The gathering raised US$14,355 for the Children's Hospital & Medical Center Foundation—far past its initial goal of US$1,000—and collected over 200 pounds (90 kg) of food for the nearby food bank. [4] [21] The CH&MC has since shown appreciation for the fundraiser on social media. [22] On May 6, 2021, Josh Cellars, a Californian winery, decided to triple the donation by donating $30,000 to the CH&MC. [23] The Wall Street Journal wrote that the event became a "global news phenomenon." [1]
The next year, a second edition of the event was held on May 21, 2022, at Bowling Lake Park. [24] [25] The anniversary event was organized by the Arizonan Swain, with donations once again going to the CH&MC. [26] [27] Around 200 people attended the event, including at least 20 people being named Josh. The redux raised US$20,576, with Josh Cellars agreeing to double the donation. [28] According to The Wall Street Journal, Swain would like to have the Josh fight occur annually, but said "he's not sure if he'll be able to keep it up." [29] There has not been a new event since 2022.