The Ice Bucket Challenge is a viral social media campaign where participants pour a bucket of ice water over themselves, film it, and then nominate friends to do the same, all while encouraging donations to charity. It originally started in 2014 in the United States to raise awareness and funds for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as motor neuron disease or Lou Gehrig's disease
. The challenge was created by three young men living with ALS-Pete Frates, Pat Quinn, and Anthony Senerchia-and quickly gained global attention, involving millions of people including celebrities. It raised over $115 million worldwide in 2014 alone, significantly boosting ALS research funding and public awareness of the disease
. More recently, the Ice Bucket Challenge has been revived with a new focus on mental health awareness, led by student groups such as the Mental Illness Needs Discussion club at the University of South Carolina. This revival encourages open discussions about mental health and supports related charities, though it has sparked some controversy for shifting attention away from ALS
. In summary, the Ice Bucket Challenge is a fundraising and awareness campaign originally for ALS, now also used to promote mental health awareness, involving a symbolic act of dumping ice water on oneself and nominating others to participate while donating to relevant causes
