Eight years ago, a little boy decided to snack on a fistful of sand. It can’t have been tasty or particularly nutritious, but it did turn him into a world-famous meme. His name is Sammy Griner, but you probably know him as “Success Kid”.
The snap of Sammy’s adorable, determined little face and triumphantly clenched fist was taken by his Mum, Laney, in 2007. It has since been used by millions of social media users around the globe to boast about moments of success. For example:
He’s moved on from that legendary meme and is now a young man of eight, busy playing with his French Bulldog and hanging with his folks at their Florida home. But it turns out that the internet is still fascinated by him. The below pic appeared on Imgur yesterday and has already been viewed over 2.5 million times.
It’s yet another testament to Sammy’s popularity, which last year also helped secure his father a kidney transplant. Justin Griner, then 39, suffered from kidney disease, which escalated into full liver failure back in 2009. By leveraging Sammy’s fame, the family managed to find a live donor and raise $US100,000 for Justin’s ongoing treatment and care.
Laney told Buzzfeed news that the Griner’s were hesitant to use Sammy at first. “But then I thought what a positive boost it could bring to our fundraising efforts for people to know this is for the father of the baby who has made so many people smile,” she said.
Top Comments
Still a little cutie :)
I love this meme, always makes me smile! Glad to hear they were able to use it to help his Dad.