A new challenge is making the rounds on social networks: the ice bucket challenge. Unlike dangerous challenges like “neknomination”, “to the water or a restaurant” and “fire challenge“, which have been circulating in recent months, it aims to raise public awareness of a campaign to appeal for donations for an American association fighting against Charcot’s disease, called ALS.
The “buzz” was started by friends of a former Boston baseball player, Peter Frates, affected by the disease. Nominees can respond to the challenge by knocking a bucket of ice water over their head, refusing it by donating money to the foundation ALS or do both. Wednesday August 13, he is the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, who rose to the challenge, nominating in turn three people, including multimillionaire entrepreneur Bill Gates and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Barack Obama would have also been appointed. According to the site E! Online, he would have refused, choosing the option of donation for the association. In Boston, in the United States, nearly 200 people took part in a collective movement by spilling water on their heads.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Charcot’s disease, is an almost always fatal neurodegenerative disease. Each year in France, it is estimated that 800 new cases are discovered.
