Ice Bucket Challenge Reviews

 Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket challenge aka ALS Ice Bucket Challenge involves donations for United States’ ALS Association as well as dumping a bucket of ice water over ones head. Initially this challenge started in mid 2013 but became viral all over the world through social media since mid of 2014. This challenge encourages the nominated participants to make a video recording of accomplishing this challenge along with making monetary donations within 24 hours of their nomination. They can also quit the challenge by making a financial charity for the cause of helping ALS affected people. The Ice Bucket Challenge reviews provided in this write up will help you in knowing more about it and encourage you to actively participate in it. 

How it started?

There is not confirmed report about the origin of the idea of Ice Bucket Challenge which involves pouring a bucket of ice cold water on ones head and raising charitable donations. During mid 2013 and the start of 2014 a Cold Water Challenge became popular in social circles of Northern US, initiated by unknown sources, which involved either donate money for the help of cancer research or jump into cold water. Similarly a challenge was initiated in New Zealand on 7th July 2014 which inspired participants to have a dip in cold water along with donating money for the Cancer Society in Auckland Division. This challenge was filmed to share on internet to inspire others for this noble cause. 

In early 2014 the Cold Water Challenge was popularized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation as a fundraiser like various other unauthorized fund raising activities. Similarly on May 20, 2014 the New Jersey fire department in Washington Township participated in the "Cold Water Challenge" with fire hoses and posted its video on YouTube. But the department punished the member who participated in it for using the fire equipments without permission of the department.

The Ice Bucket Challenge became popular in US when the activities of celebrities participating in Morning Drive program were televised on 30th June 2014 on a Golf channel that airs the program throughout the weekdays. Soon after this telecast celebrities like Matt Lauer, a television anchor, did the Ice Bucket Challenge at the request of Greg Norman on The Today Show of NBC on July 15, 2014. Chris Kennedy, the golfer, also did the challenge on the same day along with challenging his cousin Jeanette Senerchia from Pelham, NY. Jeanette’s husband Anthony was suffering from ALS since last 11 years. She did this challenge in front of her house which was filmed by hr 6 years old daughter and shared it with Pat Quinn, her 31 year old FaceBook friend living in Yonkers, NY, who was also diagnosed in March 2013 with ALS. Quinn then shared it with her family and friends who posted it among their family and friends in Florida, Greece and Ireland along with local friends which was later on telecasted on local networks also. 

The former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates who lives in Massachusetts and has ALS received this message from Quinn’s network and posted this challenge on Twitter which became popular among a number of notable individuals and celebrities within next few weeks. The social media also popularized Ice Bucket Challenge in UK where people accepted it for supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and Motor Neurone Disease Association. 

Ethel Kennedy challenged Barack Obama, the President of the United States, but he preferred to donate $100 instead of accepting the challenge. Later on LeBron James, "Weird" Al Yankovic and Justin Bieber also completed the challenge along with George W. Bush, the former president of USA, who further nominated Bill Clinton, another former president. Thus it became viral among the celebrities throughout the world for raising funds for ALS, a dreadful disease.

Rules of Ice Bucket Challenge

The participant who has been challenged should video record the acceptance of this challenge and then pouring ice into the bucket of water to lift it and pour it over their head to accomplish this challenge within 24 hours. After accomplishing this challenge he or she can call other people for this challenge. 

At some place the participants are expected to donate atleast $10 after pouring ice water over their head or if they do not pour ice water then donate $100. Whereas at some places you need not donate any money if you pour ice water on your head but it was later on criticized by the activists in this challenge.

Safety tips for Ice Bucket Challenge

In fact Ice Bucket Challenge in not one of the most dangerous challenge that has become viral on internet as Cold Water Challenge was more dangerous then it as in the later challenge people have to dive deep into the ice cold water where they may even die. But still one should be careful even while accepting Ice Bucket Challenge as it can be harmful in some health conditions. Brief information about the safety tips to be followed while accepting this challenge is provided here under.

This viral challenge can cause various types of injuries even if it is not dangerous and fatal like many other popular viral challenges. Some of the possible injuries from this challenge may include: 

Hypothermia: A few seconds exposure to cold water may not cause the problem of hypothermia to you if you try to dry up and warm up immediately after the challenge otherwise there are chances of getting really injured.

Cold shock response: As your body gets immersed in cold water then Cold Shock Response becomes the part of the Ice Bucket Challenge. So those who already have heart problems of any kind should avoid to accept this challenge as it is believed that this shock can even cause cardiac arrest.

Eye injury: There are chances to get injury on the cornea of your eyes from a chunk of ice so you should protect your eyes before accomplishing this challenge for a noble cause. 

Moreover you should ensure from the person you are calling for Ice Bucket Challenge that he/she will voluntarily participate in it, before pouring the ice water on his/her head and recording and sharing his/her performance online as it should be performed safely.