The Ice Bucket Challenge is a social media-driven activity where participants pour a bucket of ice water over their heads, typically on video, to raise awareness and funds for a charitable cause. It originally gained widespread popularity in the summer of 2014 as a viral campaign to support research and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Participants would film themselves getting doused with ice water, then nominate others to do the same within 24 hours or donate money to ALS research. This campaign raised over $115 million globally for ALS research and patient care
. The challenge was co-founded by people affected by ALS and inspired by earlier cold water challenges and traditions of pouring liquids on people to celebrate or raise awareness. It became a global phenomenon with participation from millions, including celebrities and public figures
. More recently, the Ice Bucket Challenge has been revived for new causes, such as mental health awareness, with groups like USC Mind launching campaigns to raise funds and spark conversations about mental health issues. This revival has raised money but also sparked some controversy for shifting attention away from ALS
. In summary, the Ice Bucket Challenge is a viral fundraising and awareness campaign involving dumping ice water on oneself, originally for ALS, and now sometimes adapted for other causes
