ALS Bucket Challenge, CD everyone is challenged

[Wendy Holladay]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater

Hey FIRSTers, I was nominated for the ALS Bucket Challenge. I know by now everyone has heard of this but if you haven't you now have 24 hours to take the challenge or donate $100 to ALS. STEM is the answer to these extremely difficult problems. Please help this extremely worthy cause.

[Cory]

Even better, just donate and don't waste a bunch of water/ice.

[Jacob Bendicksen]

Originally Posted by Cory

Even better, just donate and don't waste a bunch of water/ice.

Yep. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-ko...b_5656649.html

[Taylor]

If you're in the Indianapolis area, join us on September 27th as we walk in memory of my father, who was taken by ALS in May.
His team, "We'll Fly", pays homage to his hobby as a private pilot; the license plate that was on his 1923 T-Bucket and Corvette also read "I'LL FLY".
Donations are also accepted through the same link.

[Chinmay]

Originally Posted by TheCascadeKid

Yep. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-ko...b_5656649.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/t...s-for-charity/

Theres the completely opposite stance. When I look at things like this, I look at $ raised per video submitted. ALS is doing a lot better than many other viral fundraisers.

I had no idea what ALS is. Now I know, and I thought some of the videos were cute/funny/creative so I donated. The huffington post article was a bit too skeptical in it's tone and didn't resonate with me personally


Some quotes from the Washington Post: “It’s been incredible,” said Erin Fleming, the group’s associate director. “We are somewhat shocked at how many people are ‘putting their money where their mouths are’ for this challenge — in our experience, it’s difficult for awareness campaigns to translate into dollars, but the ice bucket challenge has certainly succeeded on both fronts.”

"The ALS Association, the nation’s largest ALS charity, says it’s raised $1.35 million in the past two weeks, versus a paltry $22,000 in the same period last year. Project ALS, a New York-based non-profit that funds ALS research, told the Post it’s received nearly 50 times the donations it usually gets this time of year"

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Cory

Even better, just donate and don't waste a bunch of water/ice.

Come on Cory! What's the fun in that? That's like saying, "don't ride this roller coaster. Watch it on video. It's the same thing!"

Do it AND donate.

[RKazmer]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

Do it AND donate.

That's actually what you are supposed to do. Do the challenge and donate $25 or don't and donate $100.

[Wendy Holladay]

California friends, donate the $$ and save the H20.

I donated and took the challenge. I would not have without the challenge, reminding me what an important cause this is.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

Come on Cory! What's the fun in that? That's like saying, "don't ride this roller coaster. Watch it on video. It's the same thing!"

Do it AND donate.

Living in CA, it's completely irresponsible to be wasting water right now. Any amount counts. When viewed on a macro level, imagine how hard someone in a rural village in Africa or other third world countries would have to work just to get a 5 gallon bucket of clean water? The thought of making ice is probably not even comprehensible to them.

Amongst the people I see doing it on Facebook, I don't see many that are doing the challenge and then saying they donated afterwards. I see a lot more people that seem to just be doing it because it's the trendy thing to do and then call their friends out to do it too. Maybe they're doing it and not telling people? But who is willing to self promote that they are doing the ice challenge but not that they donated money to a good cause?

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by Cory

...It's completely irresponsible to be wasting water right now. Any amount counts. When viewed on a macro level, imagine how hard someone in a rural village in Africa or other third world countries would have to work just to get a 5 gallon bucket of clean water?

And this is exactly why I won't do it. I think we all know about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and if all the viral-video-sharers are doing their job correctly, we all know what ALS -is- from that slacktivist effort. (Note, that's not always happening. Some are doing it right, others are just doing it for the likes. Not cool at all.)

Just make a donation, and try to spread actual information about the disease and how to help through your FB/Twitter channels. It's a much better use of your time and resources.

(On a side note, your comment made me think: What do y'all think Dean would say about this colossal waste of water? Considering his biggest project is to bring clean water to those who don't have it. Yes, shameless plug for Slingshot, I don't care. Go see it if you can.)

[Chinmay]

Originally Posted by Libby K

And this is exactly why I won't do it. I think we all know about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

How would it have gone viral? and how would we all know about it it? without the challenge. We have the luxury now that it has gone viral to not do the challenge and critique it. If people hadn't done it and posted all over social media, I wouldnt know about ALS. Simple as that.


As for what you and Cory are bringing up about water waste: I get that its slightly irresponsible to dump a bucket of water on yourself. Use a cup full of water... its the sentiment and participation that matter. Most places in the US aren't in a drought.

Comparing a bucket of water in New York to a bucket of water in Africa is just plain silly... i dont see that as a valid comparison at all.

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by Chinmay

How would it have gone viral? and how would we all know about it it? without the challenge. We have the luxury now that it has gone viral to not do the challenge and critique it. If people hadn't done it and posted all over social media, I wouldnt know about ALS. Simple as that.

You're right - I should have added a 'by now' in there somewhere. It's already gone viral, we all know what it is, now maybe it's time to stop with the water dumping and move to just talking about ALS. I like your thoughts about a cup of water, though. That's a bit less extreme. Still wasteful, and I think some people in developed countries don't quite see what a charmed life we live as compared to other regions- but I won't get into that right now.

(Please note, I'm talking in my post about the people who just post the water-dump without any mention of what ALS is, how to donate, or anything. That's the slacktivist side of this that's killing me. Some people are just throwing water on themselves without any demonstrated knowledge of why.)

Maybe it's my background with family in medicine, but I truly didn't think there were people out there who didn't know what some of these major diseases are. TIL, or something like that. My apologies.

[T^2]

Originally Posted by Chinmay

Most places in the US aren't in a drought.

California sure is, though...

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Chinmay

Most places in the US aren't in a drought.

Comparing a bucket of water in New York to a bucket of water in Africa is just plain silly... i dont see that as a valid comparison at all.

The world has a finite amount of fresh water. It all matters. Maybe not to us, but certainly it will to the generation that follows us.

[connor.worley]

Originally Posted by Cory

The world has a finite amount of fresh water. It all matters. Maybe not to us, but certainly it will to the generation that follows us.

Getting off topic, but here's an interesting documentary on the subject of water