Who started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?
Internet has become one of the fastest growing technologies in the world. Every daythere are more and more people using it. This has resulted in many jokes, videos, events and challenges going viral every few days. One of the most viral challenges is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Let us begin with what an ice bucket challenge actually means- It is an act of pouring ice water on the head and then nominating other people to do it. The simple rule is to either do the challenge within 24 hours or donate money to any ALS foundation. The main motive behind this was to spread awareness about the disease- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis a.k.a. ALS. It was done to encourage people to donate for its research.
This went viral sometime in July-August of 2014 when a golfer in Sarasota, Florida, named Chris Kennedy was first nominated by a friend who did the ice bucket challenge and nominated his wife’s cousin, Jeanette Senerchia, whose husband was suffering from ALS. The friend who nominated Kennedy selected a charity which worked for the young children with cancer in that area while Kennedy chose the ALS as one of his relatives was suffering from the same. This was the first time the Ice Bucket Challenge and ALS were linked together.
Senerchia lives in a small town of Pelham, NY. The campaign spread like wildfire and soon it was also all over the internet. This led them to meet Pat Quinn from Yonkers, NY, who also had ALS. The campaign became so viral that it led them to Pete Frats in Boston who had large number of supporters in the ALS community. Pete and Pat eventually became good friends.
The ALS Association saw some unexplainable increase in donation on July 29 and August 4 but realized that something big was about to happen. Soon the organization reported to have received about $15 million from more than 307,598 donors.
The campaign really took off and drew the attention of many celebrities like Oprah, LeBron James, Bill Gates, etc.
Team at World Infi