WHY PEOPLE ARE DUMPING WATER ON THEIR HEAD -- By now, youve probably seen the #IceBucketChallenge. People are purposely dumping ice-cold water on themselves, then posting video of the drenching online. Granted, its a silly exercise, dousing yourself intentionally. But its tremendously important too. The challenge is an attempt to raise money and awareness for the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease. Its a debilitating and deadly disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. We must find a cure. And the #IceBucketChallenge, as goofy as it may be on the surface, is helping to do that. From July 29 through August 12, the ALS Association (national office) received $2.3 million in donations. That same period last year? $25,000. The challenge is the viral glue connecting the community and spurring on those donations, which the ALS Association so badly needs. Ive interviewed two men who prove why theyre so badly needed. One is Steve Franks. Steve lives in Pinellas Park. Hes a husband, and a father to twin daughters. Doctors diagnosed him with ALS a number of years ago. Not only is he valiantly fighting the disease, but he also traveled the country with a display he created, raising ALS awareness. Heres his story: abcactionnews/news/region-south-pinellas/pinellas-park/man-and-mannequins-to-travel-for-als-again- The other is Matt June. Matt lives in Tampa Bay and is a former military man. For reasons doctors cant explain, our military is impacted by ALS more often than the general population. Matts a fighter too, and recently completed the #IceBucketChallenge as well: https://youtube/watch?v=qBBwy7eegvk&feature=youtu.be Tonight, in their honor, I donated $100 to the ALS Association. I urge you to donate as well, if you can: alsa.org/donate/ Soon, the water will stop being dumped. But the fight will continue.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:14:57 +0000
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