"Stefán Karl Stefánsson is a fantastic person to be around. We experienced so much fun working Long hours. Those were the memories of Us playing around the Studio. Well, those were some outstanding times. (Robbie Rotten) @stefanssonkarl Stefán Karl Stefánsson
I just completely fell in love with him. He has been battling with cancer for a while now. Well, it got much worse! It is so hard for us to be losing someone we love. My love will always be with you"
"Meme magic is real!"
That is what many fans of actor Stefan Karl, AKA "Robbie Rotten" from the hit children's show LazyTown have to say after raising over $80,000 to help the actor in his fight against pancreatic cancer.
LazyTown is an Icelandic educational musical comedy series that encourages kids to eat healthily and exercise. The programme features a cast and crew from Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LazyTown Entertainment, who also has a lead role as "Sportacus" in the show. The show aired on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels around the world, among other stations globally.
There are many popular memes and YouTube videos that have been inspired by the show, but one song, in particular, has risen to recent popularity: "We Are Number One."
The song, starring Robbie Rotten, was remixed and remade several times by various content creators, each netting large amounts of views, some in the millions.
However, the fun turned to serious business once the internet learned of their favorite villain's plight. Stefan had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he needed time to fight through chemotherapy, rest and heal.
Stefan and friends, in an effort to raise awareness and funds, took to GoFundMe and set a goal of $80,000. Since then, the internet has taken over in the best of ways.
Popularity grew, and as more support poured in, Stefan and friends found themselves in a whirlwind of "meme magic." A whirlwind that they came to embrace.
A Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), an official video posted to the official LazyTown YouTube page, and the sharing of new videos and content by the LazyTown social media team showed a solidarity behind Stefan and his fight.
Eventually, Stefan and friends hosted a Facebook LIVE event, singing the song that had brought joy to so many.
"On December 11th we hosted a live event with a reunion of the cast members of Lazy Town performing the song We Are Number One.
More then 50.000 people watched the event in a live streaming on Facebook. "This is going down in history".
This event was hosted by Stefan Karl Stefansson the actor who played Robbie Rotten in the kids TV show Lazy Town and Lazy Town composer Mani Svavarsson.
This event was organized to honor all the meme artists and fans out there who have made the song WE ARE NUMBER ONE legendary, also as a big thank you to all the supporters who have donated to Stefan Karl in his cancer battle through his https://www.gofundme.com/2tm9tqk page set up by his friends."
Not long after the LIVE event, the goal of $80,000 was reached!
On the GoFundMe page set up by friends of Stefan, the following story was posted:
"As Robbie Rotten on LazyTown, has given laughter to children around the world. He created a foundation to help stop bullying. He is a tireless advocate for special needs children.
And now Stefan Karl needs our help.
Stefan has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The operation he has had will prevent him from working for up to a year.
We want him to use that year to rest and recuperate so that he can once again return to what he does best - making kids smile all over planet Earth.
We are raising funds to help Stefan and his family survive the coming year. Not only will they need assistance with medical bills, but it's important that Stefan be allowed to heal his body and spirit without the additional burden of financial need.
We appreciate any amount of gift you are able to extend to Stefan and his family. As he moves from this difficult time toward a full recovery, we ask for your generosity, your prayers and good wishes.
As Robbie Rotten would ask, "Why are those people making all that noise!?"
Let's answer Robbie with a thunderous noise of gratitude and joy for everything he's given to the world of children's entertainment!
Help spread the word!"
So where did this whirlwind all start? Maybe this Redditor can offer the best explanation. All we know is that Stefan and friends have fans and "memers" alike to thank for their generosity."
Well done to everyone involved with raising funds for Stefan! Get well soon, Stefan!
Originally posted: Monday, December 12, 2016.
Original source: KATU; Additional sources: Wikipedia, C21Media, The Sun.
