Have You Heard About the Ice Bucket Challenge?

If you’re a regular user of social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, then you’ve probably noticed more than a couple posts involving people dumping buckets of ice water over their heads. So what’s the story behind this latest viral trend? The answer is certainly not what you’ve come to expect.

These videos which are sweeping the nation are part of what’s being called the “Ice Bucket Challenge”, but it’s not just people challenging friends to do something uncomfortable. This movement is helping to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The way the Ice Bucket Challenge works is pretty simple. If someone challenges you, then you have 24 hours to record yourself dumping a bucket of ice cold water over your head. If that’s not possible, then you can donate $100 to the ALS Foundation instead. Some people have criticized this as just another “silly meme”, but the numbers show that it’s making a significant difference.

(By the way, you’re supposed to challenge three people after completing this, so be sure to have some names in mind…)

Shining the Spotlight on ALS Research

According to The ALS Foundation, their 38 chapters across the country have received over $4 million in donations since the beginning of the month! Compare that to the $1.12 million they raised over the same amount of time last year. These generous contributions help further the Associations goal of discovering a cure for ALS and helping patients and their families across the country live full lives.

Barbara Newhouse, the president and CEO of The ALS Association, relayed how ecstatic her team was with the campaign’s success in a recent press release published on their website.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the level of compassion, generosity and sense of humor that people are exhibiting as they take part in this impactful viral initiative,” said Newhouse.

“The Association has welcomed more than 70,000 new donors to the cause since July 31 and Newhouse says, “While the monetary donations are absolutely incredible, the visibility that this disease is getting as a result of the challenge is truly invaluable. People who have never before heard of ALS are now engaged in the fight to find treatments and a cure.”

Some well known names have posted videos of themselves taking the Ice Bucket Challenge. Here are just a few of our favorites:

Funding More ALS Research

These donations are going to help fund new ALS clinical trials at facilities like the Providence ALS Center in Portland, Oregon. As it stands, there is only one drug that has been approved by the FDA to treat people living with Lou Gehrig’s disease. More research funding leads to better methods of treatment and a better prognosis for patients and their families.

This fatal neurological disease attacks the nerve cells that are responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movements. The earliest symptoms of ALS can be so subtle that they are overlooked, such as unusual muscle weakness or cramps. As it develops, patients experience a loss of control over their voluntary muscles which will affect their ability to:

• Talk
• Walk or move
• Eat
• Breathe

Lou Gehrig’s disease is 100 percent fatal for those diagnosed.

The Ice Bucket Challenge has done quite a lot to bring national attention to an issue that needs to be addressed. The ALS Association is also asking people who are living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to consider signing up for their national registry. The information they are collecting through this registry could provide critical insights for researchers and other specialists.

Would you like to make a donation to the ALS Association? Please visit their website at: www.alsa.org/donate/giving/gifts-in-tribute.html