There are so many people around the US that have done the Ice Bucket Challenge, yet ALS is not a disease that most people know about. The question now becomes: how many people actually do and research what ALS is before or after they do the challenge? There may be many people out there who post videos with no explanation of the disease, yet some do post some very informative videos explaining ALS and how it affects others. East Leyden trainer John Armenta posted his video with an extensive explanation of ALS.

Juniors Gleanne Rosales and Alex Lemon both did the Ice Bucket Challenge and didn’t research ALS before nor after their challenge.

Others such as senior Kinga Kowalczyk and sophomore Lennart Virzi did research when they found out about the challenge in the first place. They both felt the need to know what the craze was all about so they took their own initiative to finding out.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a disorder that is better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease attacks the nerve cells in your brain and in your spine. There is no treatment or cure so far. About 30,000 Americans suffer from ALS with a life expectancy of two to five years after diagnosis.

The challenge did not start out as a fundraiser for the ALS Association actually. The fundraiser began last winter with professional golf players trying to get support for pet charities. Yet, ALS has now become the standard somehow. So far in 2014 alone, ALS has raised over $64 million compared to the $1.8 million in 2013.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is not only raising money for the cause, but it is raising awareness. This could possibly be the biggest raising of awareness and money for a sickness yet.