Remember a few summers ago when the “Ice Bucket Challenge” was the latest fad? You couldn’t miss the hundreds of celebrities, especially golfers that were getting dumped with plenty of ice cold water.
It was a fundraiser for the A.L.S. Association to further research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. You either donate to A.L.S. or get dumped on with a bucket of ice. But most dumpees donated also.
It looked like a fad that had everyone from Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy taking the challenge and it was fun.
But better than that it worked.
The money was put to good use as researchers have made great progress in isolating a gene that contributes to A.L.S.
Is it a breakthrough for a cure? No, but it’s a positive step in the research that is needed to head in that direction.
Mr. Brian Fredrick of the A.L.S. Association says the money has fueled a new optimism among researchers across the world. “There’s an excitement and an energy in the A.L.S. research community that has not been there before,” Mr. Frederick said. “There’s a real sense of hope and optimism among many people living with A.L.S. now.”
So all those bone chilling ice baths turned out to be something really positive.
Funny how something that seemed so crazy can make a difference.
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