For those of you who believed that dumping a bucket of ice on yourself wasn’t an act of kindness and a way to show charity, think again. ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell reported Friday morning that the ALS Association has received $53.3 million in donations over the past 24 hours.
The total amount of money the association received in donations during all of last years was $64 million.
It’s a stunning amount, and the #ALSIceBucketChallenge can be directly linked to the amazing uptick in donations.
In case you have been hiding under a rock over the past couple weeks, a new phenomenon has taken over the United States. The challenge is as follows: either donate money to the ALS charity once placed with a challenge or let someone dump a bucket of ice over your head.
And it has been a major hit around the sports world…
ALS has also impacted the football community a great deal over the past week. Former NFL linebacker Tim Shaw announced during his own challenge that he was fighting the deadly disease.
It’s great to see a community come together in response to what has been a disease that has been flying under the radar for too long now. For this alone, the National Football League and the broader American society should be proud. It’s been a long time coming.
You can donate to the cause directly on the ALS Associate website. Better yet, take part in the challenge while donating a few dollars. It’s a fun time.