Ice Bucket Challenge: 10th Anniversary
Do you have fond memories of watching people get buckets of icy water tipped over their heads across social media? Well, it’s now been 10 years since the Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon went viral (feel old yet?), which inspired more than 17 million people around the world to take part.
In this article, we take a trip down memory lane to remind ourselves of what this challenge entails, while providing easy-to-follow steps on how you can get involved with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in its anniversary year.
What is the Ice Bucket Challenge?
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge started in the summer of 2014 when three people – Anthony Senerchia, Pete Frates and Pat Quinn – living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) launched the global phenomenon to fight the disease.
This inspired millions of people worldwide to chuck buckets full of ice water over their heads and donate to an ALS organisation. It also inspired millions of others to take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge and donate to a different charity close to their heart.
The Challenge helped to raise awareness of ALS, raising over USD $115 million to support research and care for people living with this cruel disease. This played a critical role in speeding up research all over the world, including in Australia. Donations were used to improve understanding, lead discoveries in genetics and explore new treatments.
Now celebrating its 10th birthday, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is making a comeback to honour its legacy, recognise those in the ALS community and raise funds for ongoing support to fight the disease.
Previously, tens of thousands of charitable and brave Australians took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, so there will be plenty of people willing to get behind this worthy cause in 2024. Let’s take a look at how you can get started!
How to get involved with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Ready to take on the Ice Bucket Challenge? Getting started is as easy as 1,2,3. Follow the simple steps we’ve outlined here to take one step closer to an icy surprise. Remember, it’s for an excellent cause, so don’t let fear get in the way of making a valuable difference.
Choose a cause to support
In Australia, many people have taken on the Ice Bucket Challenge and donated to MND Australia, financially supporting researchers from around the world to tackle motor neurone disease (MND).
However, as we mentioned previously, taking part in the Ice Bucket Challenge doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to raise money for ALS organisations. In fact, you can tailor the challenge to support an alternative cause close to your heart.
So, no matter the worthy cause you have in mind, the Ice Bucket Challenge is a great way of raising money and making an impact.
Start a fundraising page
Once you’ve chosen your cause to support, the easiest way to start raising money is by setting up a GoFundMe page. This removes all the stress of setting up a fundraiser and allows you to raise as much money as possible. Here are some of the main benefits of starting a GoFundMe fundraising page:
- Simple to set up: All you need to do is provide some basic information, set your fundraising goal and explain why you’re doing the Ice Bucket Challenge.
- Easy to share: Allows you to share your fundraiser across social media channels, with friends and family, and the wider community with ease.
- Safe and secure: GoFundMe has numerous safety and security measures in place to make sure fundraisers and donors are safe online.
- Crowdfund for any cause: Whether it’s for people with ALS or any other cause, you can crowdfund for just about anything.
- All donations are welcome: Big or small, all donations count, and each takes you one step closer to hitting that final goal.
Set a date and share your challenge
Next, you’ll need to set a date for when you’ll take on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Once you’ve chosen a date and time, you can then start to raise awareness of your challenge and share it with the wider world.
One of the best methods for sharing your challenge is using social media, which is what helped the Ice Bucket sensation get so popular in the first place! We’ve got some great tips on how to promote your fundraiser using social media, so you can reach as many people as possible.
Remember to reach out to family members and friends to encourage them to share your challenge with their own network.
Complete the challenge!
Now for the tricky bit – getting pumped to do the challenge and have icy water chucked over you. Here is everything you’ll need before taking the plunge:
- Positive, can-do attitude (you can do it!)
- Recording device, such as a phone or video camera
- Bucket, ice and water
- Towel and a warm item of clothing
- Phone or laptop to upload the video
Join others taking on the Ice Bucket Challenge
If the idea of ice cubes running down your back is daunting, then the fundraising examples we’ve included here should provide the inspiration you need to get involved.
As the Ice Bucket Challenge has a global reach, some of the examples we’ve provided below are outside of Australia.
Help Carolyn Breen McGinley with ALS
Friends of Carolyn Breen McGinley, who has ALS, started a fundraiser to support her through her treatment and slow the progress of her ALS. Many fundraising events have taken place to raise money, including the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
So far, funds have been used to fit a rail on the exterior of her house, complete work on an accessible bathroom design, install a stair lift chair and buy a wheelchair. This campaign will next focus on securing a motorised wheelchair, installing a wheelchair ramp, purchasing a motorised bed and continuing Carolyn’s specialised treatments.
50 Challenges for 50
Kirstie was set the task of completing 50 challenges in support of Samaritans of Horsham and Crawley by her fellow branch volunteers throughout 2023. Some of the challenges they came up with included:
- The Ice Bucket Challenge
- Learn sign language
- Walk Hadrians Wall
- Do a wild swim
- Complete a park run
- Learn to juggle
The challenges ranged from silly to adventurous and creative, with all of the funds raised going back to the Horsham and Crawley Samaritans’ branch.
JooJoo’s MND Ice Bucket Challenge
JooJoo Brown did the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise funds to find a cure for MND, hoping that other families wouldn’t have to go through what hers did. At just 11 years old, JooJoo’s dad was diagnosed with MND at the age of 54, turning JooJoo and her family’s lives upside down.
When she heard about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, she wanted to make a contribution and seek support. All the funds she raised went straight to the MND Society.
Start your Ice Bucket Challenge fundraiser
Ready to fill up that bucket with ice and brave the cold? You can make a huge difference to the lives of people living with MND and other life-threatening diseases today with the help of GoFundMe.
If taking part in the Ice Bucket Challenge floats your boat, then why not start a crowd fundraiser today to make sure you raise as much money as possible? Reach out to Australians and other generous donors across the world, so you can do something positive for a charitable cause close to your heart.