AFTER LONG BOI’S presumed passing, students have contributed to a crowdfunding campaign aiming to finance the erection of a statue of the notorious duck. Long Boi, whose length is a characteristic of his Mallard/Indian Runner crossbreed, has accumulated a large social media following and is verified on Instagram, where his account has 61.1 thousand followers.
The tragedy of his passing, first reported by Nouse, has been marked by a touching memorial video posted on the YSTV YouTube channel, which is attached to the site’s donation tracker.
Pierrick Roger, YUSU President, confirmed that as of 8 June, fundraising stood at £4,505, with additional funds secured through merch sales. However, these have not yet been added to the total.
The fundraising site works on a tier base system of fundraising, with a maximum target of £10,000.As the crowdfunding page states, anything under £1,000 will be put towards “a good cause within the University”, anything from £1,000 to £2,000 will allow for “a memorial bench with a plaque in Long Boi’smemory” and over £2,000 will fund the commissioning of “a bespoke statue of Long Boi to be installed on campus”.
Pierrick Roger, who is in charge of the crowdfunding project, remarked: “We have been inundated with requests from students and the wider Long community to preserve the memory of Long Boi for all past, present and future. We want to ensure that everyone, whether students, staff, or members of the Long community, can reminisce about times spent with Long Boi and continue sharing the joy of the Löngth with others for years to come.”
When asked how they felt about Long Boi’s (presumed) passing, York student Natalie Tyrrell commented, “I think it’s a really sad occasion because he was a big part of uni life, even if he didn’t know it. I never got to see LongBoi in real life, but I wish I had gone out of my way to now. But I heard he has some babies, and hopefully, they’ll continue long boi’s legacy. To be honest, I think he should be made an honorary alumni.”
Natalie also told Nouse, “I haven’t donated yet, I keep forgetting, but I would like to donate a couple of quid.” Ellie Reeder responded that she was “very sad. Heartbroken.” She remarked, “Uni is not the same” without Long Boi, “He was a legend.”
One student who donated to the crowdfunding claimed they thought the statue was “a sweet idea” and “the thought of a duck statue on campus was quite amusing and fitting.”
Comments commemorating the duck have also been left on the YUSU President fundraising page and have included one from Lauren Herdman, who wrote that “Long Boi arrived just after I graduated, but I was lucky to meet him twice when visiting. I ended up bringing extended family members to meet him too. God bless the Yorkducks and all they did for my mental health. Stay long, my friend.” Liz and Sean Wilson likewise wrote, “We visited him often during lockdown and seeing his lengthy yoga brought us joy. Be a brave boi for Long Boi.”
Alumni have also remembered Long Boi, with Magdalena Boo writing that “As an alumnus of York University (1992-5) Deputy President Welfare & Academic Affairs (1995-6) I was so pleased to see Long Boi’s legacy remembered. Ducks and geese are an important part of the student experience at York – especially when they are Long or, indeed, Chonky bois. RIP.”
As seen in the above comments, the effects of Long Boi’s loveable character have spread across the nation, held in the hearts of alumni and current students. Furthermore, for generations, he has clearly been a source of positivity and joy, along with becoming an emblem for not only the University of York but also for the city. The size of donations received has varied from a few pounds all the way to £100. Rewards are also available to all those who contribute to the crowdfunding and vary depending on their donation amount.
A donation of £1 to £19 grants purely a donation with no recognition. £20 or more will deliver recognition for the donator, but those who pay more will have their names displayed on the ‘Big Donors’ list on the YUSU website. A donation of £50 or more will be rewarded with public thanks displayed on the YUSU President’s social media. Those who decide to donate £100 or over will receive a personalised and hand-signed thank you letter from the University’s Vice-Chancellor. The highest tier of donors (£200 or more) will be invited to be a special Guest of Honour at the memorial’s unveiling.
Due to the campaign having sur-passed £3,000, it has received national attention – appearing on the BBC, The York Press and Metro. Despite already having raised a large amount of money, there is still a long way to go before reaching the £10,000 target. Any additional funds raised will either be donated to Mentally Fit York or will be used to fund a YorkFutures Scholarship in Long Boi’shonour. As YUSU has stated, “HisRoyal Löngthness deserves the very best”.
