KIT MURRAY
Every day Facebook is becoming more of a website dedicated to reposted vines, cat videos, blogs, and of course, selfies. But what currently has the spotlight is the trend that has taken over America’s #1 social media website: the ALS ice bucket challenge.
The Boston Globe reports that this money could not have come at a better time. The CEO of the ALS Association, a nonprofit group, is focusing on trying to “invest these dollars wisely in areas that will have maximum impact on the fight against this devastating disease.” Nonprofit groups depend heavily on donations rather than government funding.
My sorority on campus, Gamma Phi Beta, was nominated to do the challenge and our president decided to donate money if others got involved as well. Gamma Phi Beta then decided to nominate the Dragon Entertainment Group and Kappa Sigma fraternity, as well as a few other groups of people on campus.
A few videos I have seen that started this take-over are heart breaking. Someone is taking
However, some people are skeptical about where donation money is going. A few of my friends mentioned to me they believe only a small percentage (under 20 percent) of donation
The way this trend started out is debatable, but looking at how almost everyone on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets have become involved in helping out the ALS association is astonishing. Even if the money is not going straight toward the foundation, people are now more knowledgeable about what this disease is and how it affects the body as well as how they can help.
care of their mother with ALS every day, and they too will soon have this crippling disease as well as their siblings and have absolutely no way to prevent it. ALS does not discriminate; it can strike anyone at any time. Once diagnosed, the clock starts ticking. Five, maybe ten years are left in one’s life if they’re lucky. Pharmaceutical companies have little interest in investing in this due to small numbers of patients being affected by it.
money is actually being put toward the ALS foundation. The research they did also supported the fact those who work for the organization have alarmingly high salaries.
Whether or not this is true, the fact that this campaign has done so well with spreading the word and getting the social media world involved is evident.
People dump buckets of ice water on their head as well as donating money in order to raise awareness for this disease. ALS, otherwise known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a disease that attacks the nerve cells within the brain and slowly spreads to the spinal cord, shutting down voluntary muscle movement.
A main focus for scientists in this field is to find more ways to slow or halt the progression of the disease on the body. These treatments and further discoveries are only possible with money that is put toward research.
The president of our university has done the ice bucket challenge to help spread awareness. A few of my professors have talked about being nominated and participating as well.