Ice Bucket Challenge started to raise awareness and fund for ALS Disease

Ice Bucket Challenge: Started to raise awareness and funds for ALS disease

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was in news recently because since its start in July 2014, the Challenge has led to raising of millions of dollars as funds for research of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease.

Under the Challenge, a contestant will fill a bucket full of ice and water. The contestant then dumps the bucket of ice and water onto themselves. The contestant should then donate 10 US dollar (or a similar amount in their local currency) to ALS research at the ALS Association, or Motor Neurone Disease Association in the UK.

Any contestant who refuses to have the ice and water dumped on them is expected to donate 100 US dollar to ALS research.

Many celebrities have taken part in the challenge which includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Chris Pratt, Roger Federer, David Beckham, Cheryl Cole, George W. Bush, Lady Gaga,Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Charlie Sheen and Bill Gates, among many other well-known personalities and members of the general public.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is also known as Motor Neuron Disorder (MND). The disease is a neurodegenerative disease with various causes. In the United States the disease is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

It is characterised by muscle spasticity, rapidly progressive weakness due to muscle atrophy, and difficulty in speaking (dysarthria), swallowing (dysphagia), and breathing (dyspnea). ALS is the most common of the five motor neuron diseases. The life expectancy after getting affected with ALS ranges from 2 to 5 years.