Ice Ice Baby

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge becomes a widely popular trend.

` Have you scrolled down your Instagram or Facebook news feed lately and seen people pouring ice cold water on themselves? Trust me, they’re not crazy – it’s actually for a great cause that has been helping to raise awareness for a serious disease. This challenge was created and posted on Facebook by Pete Frates, a Bostonian diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease. The challenge is to make people aware of this disease and raise money to find a cure.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes problems with the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cords. Motor neurons are nerve cells that reach from the brain to the spinal cord and to the muscles in the body. However, this disease causes the motor neurons to degenerate. When the motor neurons die, the ability for the brain to send impulses and signals to the body gets lost. This then leads to voluntary muscle movement becoming inactive, paralyzing the body and eventually leading to death.

This is how the challenge works: one person gets challenged, or nominated, to pour a bucket of freezing ice water on themselves. Those who are nominated have 24 hours to complete it or they have to donate to the ALS Association. That person then has to nominate three more people to participate in the challenge, and the cycle goes on. Of course, participants can both complete the challenge and donate, or just donate.

Some of the big name celebrities who have participated are Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake, Eminem, Rihanna, and Miley Cyrus.          Curtis students have also participated, including Alaina Hinkley, who said, “It was a great idea using social media to bring awareness to this disease because it brought awareness in a more modern way.”

Hannah Lonergan said, “People on social media are bringing awareness to a real life disease instead of posting selfies or posting pictures of Starbucks.”

If you would like to donate go to www.alsa.org. You can also learn more about the disease and how you can help.