The internet is awash with viral videos of the rich and famous dousing themselves with buckets of ice cold water to raise money for charity and the craze has now taken over our shores as well.
From singers such as Lady Gaga to footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo – with even former US president George W. Bush taking up the challenge – celebrities and other less famous people have been tipping buckets of freezing water over themselves.
This teeth-chattering action is accompanied by a donation to the ALS Association, an American NGO which raises money for research and awareness of ALS.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a type of disease in the nervous system which causes muscle weakness and impacts physical function.
ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, or sometimes with slurring of speech. Eventually, ALS can affect one’s ability to control the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe.
It cannot be cured and eventually leads to death.
Yesterday, the ALS Association reported that thanks to the #icebucketchallenge, €31.5 million has been raised in less than a month.
How does the challenge work? Once a person is nominated, he or she has 24 hours to take up the challenge and to, in turn, nominate a further three people.
Junior Eurovision winner Gaia Cauchi was one of the first to bring the craze here. She decided to take up the challenge if her Facebook post was liked by 200 people.
“I saw a number of famous singers abroad take up the challenge and decided to do it myself,” the 11-year-old told Times of Malta.
“Before the challenge went viral, I didn’t know what ALS was. Now I learnt that it’s a disease in the nervous system.”
The challenge was also taken up by singer and guitarist Gianni Zammit who insisted that despite what many thought, his bucket did contain ice.
“It melted against my hot body,” he quipped.
“But seriously, the challenge is fun and it raises awareness for a good cause.”
Actress Tezara Eve Camilleri stressed the importance of donating to the ALS Association.
“I think it’s a great challenge – had I not done it, I would never have heard of ALS and I wouldn’t have donated. It’s important that people actually donate and not merely dump a bucket of cold water and that’s it.
“One of my friends whom I nominated lives in Scotland – I’m dying to see her clip because the weather’s really cold there. I hope it keeps spreading and people keep donating.”
Please keep donating – finding a cure is the thing I desire most with all my heart
Antonella Pace Cassar felt overwhelmed with the sudden heightened awareness of ALS. Her 61-year-old father suffers from the disease.
“Before, when I used to mention ALS, no one knew what it was. It’s a horrible disease – both for the person affected and equally for the family.”
She explained that her father first started experiencing problems in his legs and doctors initially thought it was arthritis. But it slowly started spreading, affecting his entire body. Her father now uses a wheelchair and needs help to use the bathroom or to button up his shirt. His speech can no longer be understood.
“He was given nine months to live – thankfully, five years have passed. But he is totally dependent on us.
“Please keep donating. Finding a cure is the thing I desire most with all my heart.”