All over social media videos have been popping up with thousands of people pouring buckets water full of water and ice onto their heads. The question that arises is, where did this challenge originate and who created the beginning of such a phenomenon? According to the NY Times, the chilling stunt originated last year as a means for people to donate money to animal charities. It wasn’t until former baseball player Pete Frates decide to spread awareness to help fight ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) that the ice bucket challenge became popular. ALS is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement, where slowly the nerves stop sending signals to the rest of the body to function as it should.
This craze has become so popular that even celebrities have been participating. Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, was one of the first famous faces to appear in a video nominating Bill Gates to donate to do the same and donate to the cause. Oprah Winfrey also participated in the challenge after being nominated by actor and director Tyler Perry.
Many people have been critiquing the ice bucket challenge saying it is simply wasting water. For those skeptical about the challenge, NBC live reported that ALS.ORG had raised over $15.6 million thank you to the awareness the challenge is raising.
For such a great cause, our CEO Victoria Lara decided to participate in raising funds and awareness for ALS. Check out the link here to see her video and who she nominated!
Have you donated yet? Donate for ALS here at alsa.org and help find a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease.
By Karla Andrade