The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has raised over $90 million. ALS, Amyotrohpic Lateral Sclerosis, is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Eventually, the ability of the brain to control muscle movement deteriorates and is lost. Patients in their later stages of ALS have known to become paralyzed until the point where they can’t even move the muscles in their throat to speak or swallow.  There is no cure or treatment today. Worldwide, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been taking over the internet. Someone gets a bucket of ice and dumps it in water, then pours it on their head. This was originally to raise awareness. Also, if you don’t complete the bucket dumping, you must donate $100 to the charity. It became very popular over the summer of 2014 and everyone seemed to be doing the ice bucket challenge, but what was the point if no money was going towards them? This video by Anthony Carbajal explains just that, and if you haven’t watched it before, please watch it till the end– grab some tissues!

He not only satirized how most people view the ice bucket challenge but also put it in perspective. The bucket challenge is kairotic because it gets people to act now! Especially videos that are not simply dumping ice, but a video where the person explains how they connect with someone who has ALS or even them themselves. It is persuasive and grabs the viewers attention in an emotional way. You can’t help but to feel bad for the people that were diagnosed. This randomly happened to them, and they will be deeply impaired and can’t do anything about it. It also could happen to anyone at anytime in their life; that is why I think Anthony’s video is so amazing and touching.

There is somewhat of an urgency to the campaign in the sense that if someone nominates you, you have a day to complete the challenge or donate. Overall, it’s widespread and it could take awhile for someone to get ‘nominated’, so they might not do it, or think they have to be nominated to jump in and make a video or donate for themselves. The only thing lacking about the ice bucket challenge is the detailing. I know when i was browsing on facebook and saw someone do one of those challenges, I thought to myself oh? whats ALS?… It wasn’t until later on that I found out ALS was Lou Gehrig’s by looking it up, online, by myself. The dialogue you’re supposed to say in the beginning of the “script” should include what ALS is and where the money is going to. I wasn’t motivated per say to do it, but it did make me think about the cause and I was able to think about what I could do to help- not just pour water on my head.

I definitely think everyone should keep talking about ALS and not let this sit on the back burners anymore. You yourself can make a change so donate to  www.alsa.com/donate.