By now many of you have seen the many videos that has taken the internet by storm in raising awareness about the ‘Lou Gehrig’s Disease‘ . Thus far the ALS Association has raised more than 22 million dollars in donation over the past three weeks from people who took the #ALSicebucketchallenge
So What Is This Challenge All About?
Simply put – it’s individuals dousing themselves with a bucket of ice water on video, then nominating others to do the same all in an effort to raise ALS awareness. Those that refuse to take the challenge are asked to make a donation to the ALS charity of their choice.
It all started from a guy named Pete Frates who decided to take the Ice Bucket challenge on video with his family and it later went viral across the social media air waves. Pete is a former division 1 athlete who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012 and has since worked with the ALS Association Massachusetts Chapter to raise awareness because there is no CURE at this time.
” Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. “
” When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. “
To learn more about ALS and or make a donation click here
MANY people and A-List celebs have joined the cause some of which have took the challenge and donated money.
Okay with that said, NOT Everyone is pleased with the recent viral sensation.
As one critic points out “what a waste of water”, another wrote “it’s about donating money” and the infamous photo below is the current repost expanding through the social media atmosphere as of last night.
While I’d like to draft an entire article about the hyprocisy of this statement, I’ll keep it short. I first saw this post by celebrity Chef Roble so I’ll just respond to him in this article . Roble mentions that he is too skinny for the challenge and has chosen to DONATE since that’s what the cause is all about.
I like Roble, and I am a huge fan of his work, but since were on the subject of WASTE let’s debate a little shall we. Here’s a chef who cooks all sorts of MEATS & PORK [which comes at the death of MANY slaughtered animals whether cage free, organic etc] which in turn he along with many other CHEF’s use as a public decorative display [ie: the pigs who are roasted, and served on a platter for clients upon request] when desired.
Now, MANY people eat and continue to indulge in MEAT & PORK. daily despite their knowledge of its harmful cause and effect, and the many videos to support this claim but no one’s campaigning against it LOUD & MASSIVELY except for PETA, and a few VEGAN groups.
Talk About Waste! Let’s see…What’s more harmful here ” Water Consumed By Nature Vs. Slaughtered Animals That Are Then Consumed Daily By Millions of Humans” ………. I’ll Wait
My point here is that “ WE’RE ALL HYPOCRITES “
Rather than turn this positive movement into a negative debate, let’s learn from it and use it as an example for more challenges about other important matters.
Back to the real news at hand.
So, I first witnessed the viral videos on facebook by my younger cousins, Jessie and Johnathan. I was interested to know what it was all about so I did my research.
Like many people, soon thereafter I was nominated by a family member to take the challenge this week and I obliged yesterday. My reason for taking this challenge was not to score popularity points with the public but to get involved on a global cause.
As the saying goes: Many people TALK more and do LESS with their ACTIONS.
Let’s face it we live in a world of “the haves” and the “have nots” and not everyone maybe able to contribute financially but they can ‘freely’ raise awareness. And, By no means is this a friendly challenge. The water is ICE COLD and any person[s] who does the real icebucketchallenge gets a small dose of what a person with ALS goes through on a daily basis.
If you’ve taken the challenge, then you know!
As a human race, We have ALOT of work to do, and we clearly can ACHIEVE anything if we BOND together but we should also consider EDUCATING ourselves individually and collectively along the way.
Now that’s a challenge and pledge that I’d like to see. One Love PLUM’s!