You may have noticed the latest social media buzz includes a bucket of water and a bag of ice. You recognize friends, family, and A-list celebrities dousing themselves with said bucket of water and bag of ice and sure, that’s one way to beat the summer heat or get a few extra likes on Facebook or Instagram. But what you and most people fail to notice is the real reason why everyone’s hopping on this ice-bucket-challenge-bandwagon. It’s so much more than a dare or a shout-out to a friend!
ALS: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is more commonly known as Lou Gherig’s disease. Pete Frates, a victim of ALS (I use the word victim because ALS eats away at an individual like a predator dissecting its prey), is the individual who inspired the ice bucket challenge. The challenge spreads awareness to unknowing people like you and me who might not put a picture to the name or a reason to the cause. We never really knew what this disease was until we saw it in our social media feeds. It’s more than a trend and I think people lost sight of that when they saw their favorite football player or movie star taking part in the challenge. We don’t always look in depth at these things, but I think it’s about time we did. Let’s put a dent in ALS and help its victims and their families. So don’t do it for the likes, do it for the cause.