On July 29th the ALS Association issued the #IceBucketChallenge on multiple social media sites  to raise awareness of the disease. The rules to this challenge are simple: one must either donate to ALSA.org/donate or dump a bucket of water over their heads on camera, post it online, then nominate other people to participate. “I had to do it within 24 hours of getting challenged, and nominated people. I did the challenge but also donated.” Jordan Wood (11), a participant in the challenge, stated.

“The sensation the cold water gives you is the feeling people with ALS have. Some videos don’t even explain what ALS is or even mention it,” Wood mentioned about many of the videos she has seen on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, is a progressively neuro degenerative meaning that nerve cells and the spinal cord slowly die resulting in the loss of motor control and or eventually being paralyzed. This disease strikes 2 out of every 100,000 people and anyone can have it(according to www.ALSA.org). The United States alone has approximately 5,600 ALS victims. The life expectancy of people diagnosed with ALS is 2-5 years. A little over 10% will live more than 10 years, half that will live past 20 years after diagnosis (according to www.ALSA.org).

This year from July 29th to August 26th $88.5 million was donated, last year for the same time period only $2.6 million was collected. Within a 7 day period spanning from August 19th to August 26th donations went from $22.6 million to $88.5 million, which is almost $9 million a day (according to www.ALSA.org). All proceeds earned go towards finding a cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and provide much needed-services to patients and their families. Now why are so many people joining in on this #IceBucketChallenge or donating? “Just to make people with ALS aware that people care about their disease,” Wood concluded.

Other than donating money and doing the #IceBucketChallenge there are other ways to support research for ALS. The Walk to Defeat ALS is a nationwide movement to help remember and honor ALS victims and their stricken families. Hosting a fundraising event for The ALS Association will help make a new world without this chronic disease. For more information about ALS, Walk to Defeat ALS, or starting a fundraiser in its honor go to ALSA.org today.