Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Do you know what it is? A disease where the neurons in your body slowly lose function, disconnecting the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. You’ll slowly lose muscles one by one, until paralysis and eventually death. It’s a long horrific struggle, most famously fought by the great Lou Gehrig.
I will admit, I went for a long time being a skeptic about the whole ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I felt a lot of people were just dumping the bucket of ice water on their heads because everyone else was. In fact, I have much admiration for those like Patrick Stewart who didn’t even truly take the challenge. His video was a shot of him sitting at a desk, writing out a check. George Bush did something very similar. I realize the point of the challenge was to bring awareness to the cause, and I know it worked because the donations to ALSA have increased exponentially since it began, but I still had a hard time participating in it… until now.
Our Student Government has put together a fundraiser. They have asked students to bring in their spare change. Each teacher will have a jar that the students can choose to add their money to. Every teacher who gets donations of more than $50 in their jar, will participate in an ice bucket challenge during an assembly at the start of October. I say, “Bring it on!”
Being that the ALSA is where it all began, we will donate to them, but our teachers have asked that we share the cause. We will split the total amount of money donated between five different chairities: ALSA, JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Wounded Warriors Foundation, and the Leukemia Be-the-Match Foundation.
We’re not asking that any one person write out a check for a large sum. We’re simply asking that you grab the spare change off your dresser throughout the next week and bring it in! Every little bit counts. The challenge begins September 22 and ends September 26. It only lasts next week.
With a donation backing it, I will happily take the Ice Bucket Challenge.