Pour out the ALS Ice Water

                    

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is sweeping the nation for a great cause.  The challenge is a request for donation to ALS.  Pour a bucket of ice water over your head and donate $10.00 or skip the icy water and donate 100.00.  Then, show your icy video on social media and challenge others.

The challenges originate with a 100.00-dollar donation made by the professional golfer, Chris Kennedy.  The donation made by Kennedy was out of lovefor his suffering friend Anthony.  Kennedy challenged his trainer, James Whatmore, who in turn challenged threefriends.  On July 14, Kennedy posted his video onto the social media and challenged three friends.  The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is not only about money, video image competition, nor is about finding a cure; it is about community coming together in love.

One friend, Jeanette Senerchia accepted the challenge from Kennedy in honor of her husband Anthony who suffers from ALS.  Family and friends joined in the challenge to support the Senerchias.  Chris' wife, Ariana Kennedy started posting the videos on YouTube and in one week with over 400 videos,they cannot keep up.  You can view the Kennedy videos at, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPBZfpL7bSNJa4Er6Gu6W5A.

ALS affects the brain cells and spinal cord.  According to ALS Association at als.org, ALS is "The progressively degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death.  When motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to imitate and control muscle movement is lost."  There is no cure.

Some oppose the challenge for various reasons, wasting of clean water; ALS is involved in brain stem research and ALS researches using animals.  These are good concerns and should be noted and weighed in love and care for the ones suffering.  These concerns can also challenge some givers to donate to the ALS research without donating to brain cell research and animal research.  Some are joining without donating to encourage ALS suffers by just pouring the bucket.  As for wasting the water, there is no waste.  Dumping water is a miracle cure that runs deeper that the disease. 

The Ice Bucket Challenge is not only about the money.  The Ice Bucket Challenge has created awareness of ALS and donations have exceeded 53 million. While the money may or may not find the physical cure, the beauty lies in the support of friends loving on hurting friends.  ALS awareness has helped the many who are suffering step out in courage.  According to the golf channel, Jeanette explains, "But he said he actually feels more comfortable in his own skin.  He doesn't feel like he has to hide from people." 

Those suffering from ALS have received the gift of courage from the loving support.  There is hope for physical cure because of the donations. Like Anthony, many ALS sufferers are encourage and cured from the feeling of hiding.  Nothing is wasted.  I am proud of my friends that joined the community to pour icy water in the name of love.