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ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

         I have been concerned because I know a handful of people who did the ice bucket challenge who did not raise money or make any public statements, or give a donation themselves as far as I know. It seemed that they were into the fad of it, rather than what it represents.

         However, after a little investigation, I have learned that the challenge is working. Over 94 million dollars have been collected by the ALS Association this summer. They have plans to distribute it to researchers first and for education and outreach. Like me, people have researched a little about the disease.

         When I've mentioned Lou Gehrig, I found young people going, "Who?" You know, the baseball player. Unfortunately, the movie about him is old now, so very few younger people have heard of a baseball player from the 1920's. I knew the disease took his name because he was the first famous person to have it. It ended his career. In my research, I found that it was discovered 60 years before he was struck with it.

         First, the real name: Amyotrohic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS (easier for people like me), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It's a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Again, for people I know, that means it gets worse slowly and affects the nervous system and breaks down its components, in this case the brain, spinal cord, and neurons or transmitters. The transmitters run from the brain to the voluntary muscles. They will eventually become paralyzed and die. 

  .          The ice bucket challenge was started by some families affected by the disease. And it has been a wonderful success and windfall for researchers, doctors, and victims of ALS. So if you can get some people to make a donation to see you doused in ice water, or maybe your boss, go for it!