ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: $13.3 million dollars and counting

By ERIC LYONS

The internet has been set ablaze as thousands shock their systems and drop their body temperature a few degrees with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Everyone from Hollywood celebrities like Chris Pratt to politicians like Chris Christie have participated, hoping to educate others on the fatal-illness. ALS or Lou Gerhig's Disease "afflicts about 30,000 Americans or about 2 in 100,000 people," according to Forbes magazine. The illness attacks the central nervous system and eventually causes full-paralysis. It has plagued the likes of Professor Stephen Hawking and English actor David Niven.

Acceptors of the challenge have to record themselves getting doused with ice water, which can be poured onto them in the most unimaginable ways possible. After they brace the icy water, they have to post the video onto social media, and challenge three others to complete the same task. If a person fails to complete the challenge within a 24-hour time span, they must donate $100 to ALS research.

Participants have gotten extremely creative with the challenge. For the New York Jets it was an opportunity to dump hundreds of gallons of ice water from a crane a few stories above the team's practice field. Some celebs like President Obama declined to partake in the freezing festivities, while others like Charlie Sheen have decided to donate money in hilarious ways to the cause.

"The New York Times reports that the campaign has raised over $13.3 million for the ALS Association since July 29, compared to $1.7 million during the same period last year."

A Forbes report found that many found the sensational and aggressive nature of the challenge to be annoying, and other critiques the feat because "the charity part remains a postscript."

Regardless of the viral-phenomenon's censure, it has raised a tremendous amount of money and brought awareness to a good cause.

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