The #ALSIceBucketChallenge Has Made the World Much Cooler

Chances are, you already know what the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is. If not, you either don’t have Facebook or just don’t understand why every other person in your feed is dumping ice all over themselves. The challenge originated in New York and Boston in the U.S. in early June. Pete Frates, a former Boston College baseball player and his friend Pat Quinn who both suffer from ALS started the challenge and it has snowballed all over the world. The origins of the challenge are simple: donate to ALS or you have to pour a bucket of ice water over your head. No one could have ever imagined how viral this has gone. The ripple effect of the challenge has transcended continents; it’s been done by stars, athletes, musicians and bands, famous figures and many more.

The results have been quite astonishing with more than 10 times the amount of donations they received during the same time frame last year. Perhaps even more important for longevity’s sake is the awareness that has been spread about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; also known as Lou Gehrig ’s disease. MarketingMag reports that over 184,000 of the donors are new donors to the ALSA cause. The topic has been trending in social media for two weeks now and continues to grow. No doubt more charities will try to capitlise on this trend; however, it is impossible to create something to be viral, you just have to sit back and ride the wave of the ripple effect. Below are some videos of movie starts, television stars, professional sports athletes, and even brands answering the challenge.