Q: What is this Ice Bucket Challenge all about?

Great question. Some of you may have witnessed or assisted in several staff members participating in this challenge here on campus. Perhaps you saw our very own Lonnie Baker featured in the Manhattan Mercury participating in the challenge.

For the past year or so there has been a trend of people dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads to help raise awareness and support for a philanthropy of their choice. This challenge adapted from the Polar Bear Plunge. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge didn’t start, however, until this past July when Pete Frates challenged several friends to take the Ice Bucket Challenge in support of ALS.

Pete Frates, a former Boston College Men’s Baseball team captain turned semi-professional baseball player, was diagnosed with ALS in 2012 at the age of 27. Shortly after his diagnosis he began raising awareness by starting the Pete Frates #3 Fund and speaking across the country. In the past two years, Pete’s ALS has progressed and he no longer is able to walk, speak or eat. He now communicates through a computer system and has a full-time nurse on hand to assist him with his daily activities. Last month he heard about the Ice Bucket Challenge and nominated several friends to complete the challenge in his name to raise awareness for ALS. The trend caught on as many of his friends are professional athletes, and it wasn’t long before other athletes were completing the challenge and donating money to the ALS Association in his name. Since then the trend has gone viral and celebrities, families, coworkers and many others have accepted the challenge. As of last week the ALS Association has reported 22.9 million dollars in donations compared to a similar time frame last year of just 1.9 million dollars. Pete Frates completed his ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Aug. 14 in the outfield of his beloved Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park.

Thanks for another great question and as always, keep them coming!