Drew Scanlon, known as the 'Blinking Guy' meme, channels his fame for a good cause

The internet’s “Blinking Guy” is trading his meme fame for miles this weekend

The internet’s “Blinking Guy” is trading his meme fame for miles this weekend.

Drew Scanlon will ride 102 miles across the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research.

Scanlon said his nearly 10-year cycling mission has raised more than $250,000 for the disease, inspired by friends affected by MS.

Despite having one of the most famous faces on the planet, Scanlon said he is not often recognized on the street. His fame comes not from anything he’s posted or said online, but from something intrinsically human: blinking. The meme originated during his time at the video game website Giant Bomb, when a co-worker made a joke during a livestream and Scanlon’s reaction — a simple blink — was captured.

“I don’t know who clipped it out or when or why,” Scanlon told NBC News in a phone interview Friday, the day before the Waves to Wind 2025 charity bike ride in the Bay Area.