You may have seen some of the millions of videos on social media and TV: around the world, people are dumping a bucket (or buckets) of ice water over their heads and pledging support (both through the challenge itself and financially) to the cause. However, through the personalization and customization among the myriad of viral videos, some people are straying from the original ALS Ice Bucket rules.
At the heart of every challenge is the true cause: raising awareness and financial support to help fight Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (or Lou Gehrig's Disease), which is a degenerative and fatal disease affecting an estimated 30,000 people at a time in the US alone.[1] [2] So far, the Ice Bucket Challenge has raised at least $62.5 million in donations to help people with ALS and to fund further research and public policy initiatives for ALS.[3]
Steps
- Decide to take the challenge. In theory, you need to be challenged by another person via social media, but if you want to take the challenge, or (more importantly) want to donate to the cause, just go for it. If you insist on being challenged first, at the rate this game is going, don’t worry - your number will be up any day now.
- Accept the challenge. One important component of the challenge is that you have to pour that ice water over your head and that you must respond to the challenge within 24 hours of being challenged. If you miss the mark in timing, don't let it deter you from participating and donating anyway!
- Take the alternative. If you prefer to keep your hair dry like former First Lady Laura Bush, you can write a check for $100 to ALSA.org. Donations are a great idea, regardless of whether you complete the challenge or not.
- Gather supplies before you film. Some people like to show the pouring of the water and ice into the bucket. As long as it's obvious you included a decent amount of ice in your water, showing this step may not be necessary.
- State just the facts. You are not doing this to accept an Academy Award or to show your musical prowess. This is about a cause, not about you, so keep it short and sweet.
- State your name, and the name of the person who challenged you
- Accept the challenge. You can keep it simple by saying, “I accept the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge," or you can reflect more on the impact that ALS has had on people in your life or around the world. Try to keep it short and on-point, though.
- Challenge three more people (state their names) and say they have 24 hours to complete the challenge.
- Say that you are donating money (in addition to the ice dumping) to ALSA.org (and really do it).
- Lift and tip the ice water over your head. Brace yourself for the cold. This can be self-executed or you can have someone else do the honors. Keep in mind to stay safe while doing this--whipping a bucket of ice water onto someone’s vulnerable head from a roof top or any other extreme distance could actually result in head trauma--not what the folks at ALSA were hoping to achieve.
- Upload video onto social media. The ALS Assocation suggests using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.[4]
- Use hashtags. The point of a viral campaign is to spread awareness, so even if you're averse to using hashtags, this is a good time to make an exception. Mark your video with #icebucketchallenge, #alsicebucketchallenge, and #strikeoutals to spread the word.
- Tag the people you want to challenge.
- To tag someone on Twitter, put the "@" symbol before their username. For example, if someone's Twitter name is PeanutButter123, you would include @PeanutButter123 in your Twitter status.
- On Facebook, hit the spacebar and type in the "@" symbol. If you don't leave a space before the symbol, the process won't work. Type in the name of the person you want to tag. Once you start typing the person's name, a list of your friends will appear, and you can select the person from the list.
- Provide the donation link. The Ice Bucket Challenge is about awareness and gathering donations, so provide a donation link right there in your post, as well as tagging your challenged friends to encourage their participation, too.
- While there are a number of ALS organizations you could donate to, the number one group behind the Ice Bucket Challenge is the ALS Association. You can use this link to donate.
- Donate! The original point of the challenge was to get people to either do the challenge or donate. However, if you can pledge financial support, it's a good idea to do both. Many people out there are now doing the ice challenge and donation, instead of picking one, and every contribution goes a long way.
- If you're choosing to donate online, you have the options to pay via PayPal, Amazon, credit card, or checking account.
- If you're choosing to donate online, you have the options to pay via PayPal, Amazon, credit card, or checking account.
Tips
- By taking the ice bucket challenge, you are still going to donate money to the cause, but can choose any denomination (at least $10 or more).
- Remember: use an actual bucket, not an ice bucket you use at a cocktail party.
- Do some research. Head to ALSA.org before you take the challenge to get a better understanding of how devastating this disease is for those afflicted and their families. Knowing more about the cause will fuel your resolve to keep the challenge going.
Warnings
- Some people are particularly concerned about water usage in areas affected by droughts. If you don't want to do the ice bucket challenge itself, you can consider using repurposed water (collected from the shower, or reused in your garden afterwards). You can also make some alternative social media post or video to spread ALS awareness regardless, and of course you can donate to the cause.
Things You’ll Need
- Bucket
- Water (enough to fill the bucket at least ½ way)
- Ice (enough to fill the bucket at least ¼ of the way)
- Video camera (usually on your smartphone)
- An area (that can get wet) to film the challenge
- An idea of who you want to challenge next
Sources and Citations
- http://ift.tt/1tlV2eZ (research source)
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from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1nyAPOp
via Peter
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