Former Apple employee named Sam Sung raises more than $80,000 for charity by auctioning off his old business card



A former Apple employee with a very coincidental name has come up with a creative way to raise money for children.

Sam Sung, 25, worked for three years as a specialist at the Pacific Centre Apple store in Vancouver, where customers couldn't help but notice his distinctive name on his ID badge and employee T-shirt.

Now, he has set up an eBay auction to sell one of his old personalized business cards - and he has already raised an incredible $80,200 for the Children's Wish Foundation.

Novelty name: Sam Sung, 25, worked for three years at an Apple store in Vancouver and auctioned off his business card for charity

Good cause: Mr Sung had hoped to raise up to $80,000 after receiving the bid on eBay, but it turned out to be fake

In a photo on his eBay page, Mr Sung poses next to his business card, which is framed alongside his employee T-shirt and ID badge - although these are not up for auction.



He wrote that he came up with the idea after one of his old business cards fell out of a book.

When he approached Jennifer Peterson, the director of the charity's British Columbia branch, about his idea, she was elated.

'When Sam called me with his idea, I was of course thrilled,' she told ABC News. 'But I believe neither of us thought it would get to this, especially so quickly. My staff and I are watching the frenzied bidding with much excitement.'

Mr Sung's auction has indeed created quite the buzz; after opening on Tuesday with a starting price of 99 cents, bids rapidly flew to $80,100 just few hours later.

Only time will tell how much the card will ac tually rake in by the time the auction closes on August 15.

Hoax: The post on the eBay auction site for $80,000, which turned out to be a fake

Mr Sung became interested in the Children's Wish Foundation, which aids kids with serious illness, after attending an inaugural gala last winter. Since then, he has volunteered on numerous projects and made it his mission to help out.

'Sam has clearly been touched by what we do and come up with a creative way to support us'

'Sam has clearly been touched by what we do and come up with a creative way to support us,' said Ms Peterson.



She added that the average cost of a wish is about $10,000, which means if all the bids thus far are genuine, Mr Sung will have provided wishes for at least eight children.



'One of our recent wish children, who sadly passed away just after his travel wish, summed up his experience so profoundly by saying "I forgot I was sick,"' explained the charity director.