"This is huge!" "Ice Bucket Challenge" raises HOW MUCH for ALS Association?!
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- One man with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, wanted to do something to help raise awareness and money. ALS is a disease that can strike anyone at any time, and there's no treatment or cure. The disease is always fatal. What this man came up with has become one of the biggest internet sensations ever.
From celebrities, to politicians, to sports stars, thousands of people are doing the Ice Bucket Challenge -- dumping a bucket of ice cold water over their heads, filming it -- and then tagging their friends -- giving them 24 hours to complete the challenge and/or donate money for ALS research.
Quickly several people completing the challenge became several hundred -- and then, several thousand.
Almost overnight, the Ice Bucket Challenge has soaked the natoin.
The ALS Association says it has never seen anything like this. In two weeks, $5 million in donations has poured in.
"A big piece of this puzzle is awareness. The fact that this disease has been ignored and underfunded for 75 years -- we are now on the forefront. We are now on the cover of pages. This is huge," Melanie Roach-Bekos with the ALS Association said.
FOX6's Brad Hicks took on the challenge on Tuesday afternoon. He challenged FOX6's WakeUp team. They challenged FM106.1.
"For the people who just think this is a silly bucket of ice, every time I see someone dump a bucket of ice over their head, I actually feel like there might be a cure for me and my friends fighting ALS out there, and anyone else who might get it some day," Trickett Wendler who has ALS said.
"We have brilliant minds all over the world working on this mystery and this is going to help make sure we keep these researchers in place working on a solution and an answer," Roach-Bekos said.
Ethel Kennedy challenged President Barack Obama to take on the challenge. He opted to make a donation instead of getting wet.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Ice Bucket Challenge via the ALS Association's website.
CLICK HERE to make a donation to the ALS Association.
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