The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge…Coffee Style
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been dominating my social streams for weeks. It is easy to get annoyed at most things that have this viral component, but this is something unique. It is good!
Sure, there are a ton of worthy causes out there, and I do give to many, but the Ice Bucket Challenge is contagious. First of all, I witnessed a strong, burly friend succumb to this horrible disease. I couldn’t imagine going through that myself, let alone watching a family member suffer the same fate. ALS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It slowly paralyzes its victims, but cruelly leaves the brain function in tact. Learn more at ALSA.org
There are many things that make this phenomenon exceptional, and here are just a few;
- The challenge didn’t start in a board room, a PR agency, or even from ALSA.org at all. The challenge was already taking place, when an ALS sufferer, Pete Frates, saw an opportunity to link it to ALS, which was one of the most underfunded research programs.
- Awareness is great, action is better. While being aware of ALS is important (I’ve taught my children about the disease and I’ve thought about it daily for the past 3 weeks) This movement also encourages participants to make a financial contribution or get personally involved in other ways. I’ve challenged some friends, and required them to make donations. (I contacted them privately, so as to not add a public humiliation component)
- There are tangible benefits. To date, the challenge has inspired people to donate 42 million dollars. Compare that to the 2.1 raised in 2013, during the same time period.
This is a movement to raise funds to support ALS research, and those currently suffering from the disease. It isn’t strictly a fundraiser for ALSA. Some folks have refused to participate, stating moral reasons for not wanting to support embryonic stem cell research. Good news, there are several alternative organizations, who do not participate in this type of research, to donate your funds to. Here are some that I have found…
- ALS Guardian Angels: The ALS Guardian Angels Foundation is dedicated to helping patients and their families live with ALS while maintaining the best quality of life possible.
- Team Gleason: Help provide individuals with neuromuscular diseases or injuries with leading edge technology, equipment and services. Create a global conversation about ALS to ultimately find solutions and an end to the disease. Raise public awareness toward ALS by providing and documenting extraordinary life adventures for individuals with muscular diseases or injuries.
- Trish’s Angels: To help Individuals diagnosed with ALS and their families by providing the necessary financial resources to allow them to live fuller lives.
- John Paul II Medical Research Institute: Seeks to find cures and therapies exclusively using a variety of adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, and does not engage in embryonic stem cell research of any kind. While they do work on more than just ALS, the popularity of the Ice Bucket Challenge has prompted them to allow donations to be exclusively designated to ALS research.
- We help those living with the disease today celebrate their time left with their loved ones, offering strength, hope and joy through our Patient Programs. We help future generations through financial support of cutting edge research to one day find a cure. I have contacted this group and confirmed that they are not funding research that employs embryonic stem cells. Additionally, donors may designate their giving to specific areas of interest.
I’d like to mention that I used water from a nearby river, as well as stale coffee beans.
