Online campaign raises $1 million for Greek debt repayment

A crowdfunding campaign that was started in the United Kingdom to help Greece cover its debts has raised more than $1 million as of Wednesday, up from about $500,000 the day before.

The campaign, the Greek Bailout Fund, was launched three days ago by shoe seller Thom Feeney, 29, from York in northern England, in response to wrangling over Greece’s debt payment to the International Monetary Fund that was due on Tuesday. More than 58,000 people have contributed to the fund, according to crowdfunding website Indiegogo.

In a statement on the website, Feeney wrote, “All this dithering over Greece is getting boring. European ministers flexing their muscles and posturing over whether they can help the Greek people [or] not. Why don't we the people just sort it instead?”

His campaign caused such "overwhelming worldwide interest" that it caused the site to crash in a day, Agence France-Presse reported.

The bulk of donations in the first 24 hours came from Britain, which is not a eurozone member, and Germany, which has taken a hard line on bailout terms for Greece and assumed the bulk of the debt relief.

Feeney promises to reward donors by traveling to Greece and commissioning Greek vendors to help boost the economy. For 3 euros ($3.3), donors will receive a postcard printed in Greece. For 6 euros, a Greek feta cheese and olive salad will be delivered “fresh to your door.” For 5,000 euros, an "all-inclusive" vacation for two in Athens is being promised. So far, five people pledged that amount.

"I can understand why people might take it as a joke, but crowdfunding can really help," said Feeney. "I just thought, 'Sod it, I'll have a crack.'"

Initially, there was a small Greek island on offer for anyone who donated the full amount, but Indiegogo asked Feeney, who works in London, to remove the offer because the Greek government had not agreed to it.

With publicity increasing around the project, the tally was increasing at about 5,000 euros per hour. It is, however, still far short of the 1.6 billion euro goal.

Under Indiegogo's terms, donations will be refunded if the target is not reached within seven days.

Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse