It’s a bit of a mouthful, but the real title for this should probably be “The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge & The Real ALS Challenge”
I initially ignored it as a silly gimmick when I saw people pouring cold water and ice blocks over themselves for what I later learnt was called the #IceBucketChallenge. Though it’s not my idea of fun, I accepted that people were gaining some form of satisfaction from it, so I thought, ‘live and let live’. I later learnt that it was aimed at raising awareness about ALS and raising funds for a charity.
It seemed a bit though, that people were choosing to pour ice cold water over themselves instead of actually giving to Charity. I have, however, learnt through NBC news that over $30,000 has been raised, so though it may be gimmicky it must be taken seriously.
I hope that whilst people like George Bush may have taken the challenge and had ice cold water poured all over him that he still went ahead and wrote a couple of cheques. One for Laura, but most critically one for the ALS Foundation.
Similarly, I hope that all the celebrities and all the other people that have opted to have ice cold water poured over themselves still go ahead and make a donation to the ALS Foundation or other Charities that support people with the disease if they can afford to do so.
If not to some extent, what’s the point? I may just be ignorant, but I must say I didn’t know what ALS prior to the campaign. I didn’t learn anything about it from all the different people that I’ve seen having buckets of water poured over their heads. Most of them don’t even mention it.
I had to go online and look up ALS to find out what it means. I’ve also seen an alternative video from a young man who has been diagnosed with the disease; as was his mother and his grandmother. I think the video is a must watch. Ref: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge – Uncensored & Sexy?
Ultimately, I hope that beyond a bit of viral fun, a lot more money is raised in aid of ALS which leads to research, better treatment and a potential cure; that there is a greater awareness of the disease and a better/improved response to people that suffer from it.
So have fun (as you hopefully make a real difference)
Susan Popoola runs Conning Towers Ltd, an HR organisation focused on Talent Management and HR Transformation and Engaged For Success a Social Enterprise. She is also the published author of Touching The Heart of Milton Keynes: A Social PerspectiveandConsequences: Diverse to Mosaic Britain. She is also Winner Women4Africa Author of the Year 2013
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