ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raises money and awareness

The Ice Bucket Challenge has become a social media phenomenon based on a campaign started by the ALS Association to raise funds and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Richland Source participated in the challenge on Tuesday, Aug. 19. As part of the challenge, participants are recommended to challenge three others- and the challengees have 24 hours to complete the challenge, otherwise they are “required” to donate $100 to the cause.

Richland Source challenged the Mansfield YMCA, WMFD, and the Mansfield News Journal.

“Coming from an organization’s standpoint, we realized that we would have so much more of an impact not only on our community, but the fight- to strike out ALS in itself,” said Mansfield YMCA Marketing Coordinator Mike Kochheiser.

The Mansfield YMCA accepted the challenge, and then challenged three other entities: the Shelby YMCA, Richland County Children Services and Richland Bank.

See the YMCA’s video on Facebook.

Richland Bank President John Brown said, “We support a lot of good causes, usually more local than this. But this has gained a lot of national momentum and notoriety. We’re happy to get involved. A lot of people here locally have gotten behind this.” 

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to death. There is not a cure or treatment today for this disease.

And here’s Richland Bank’s video:

According to Communications Director for the ALS Association Greg Cash, the organization has received $53.3 million compared to $2.2 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to Aug. 22).

Some organizations, however, like the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, have questioned the association’s ethical integrity, concerned about the use embryonic stem cells (ESC) in one of their studies. ESC are taken from the stem cells of an early-stage human embryo, which are often found in aborted human fetuses.

In an email statement from Cash, he confirmed that the association does in fact fund one study that uses embryonic stem cells (ESC).

“The stem cell line was established many years ago under ethical guidelines set by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). This research is funded by one specific donor, who is committed to this area of research. Fetal as it is generated from one fetus donated many years ago after a spontaneous loss of pregnancy,” wrote Cash in a statement.

However, the ALS Association primarily funds studies that use adult stem cells derived from the skin cells of people with ALS (“induced pluripotent stem cells” or iPS cells). “These iPS cells begin as adult human skin cells but are then reprogrammed to become stem cells, which are then ready to become other cells types. This process offers a powerful tool for modeling the disease process and for discovering and testing new therapies,” continued Cash.

Also, according to Cash, the money raised from the Ice Bucket Challenge does not go toward the study or use of ESC.

Other organizations collecting contributions for seeking a cure for ALS can be found at Brigance Brigade, a foundation founded by former NFL player OJ Brigance and his wife Chanda.

Richland Source invites readers to share their Ice Bucket Challenge photos and a link to your YouTube video with us via Facebook, Twitter or through the news submission page site.

The videos will publish in a gallery collection that will remain on our site through Sept. 1.