In the midst of the many social media responses via Facebook and Twitter, the Ice Bucket Challenge has literally “soaked” the nation.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has predicated itself on its ability to raise money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Roughly 30,000 Americans have been diagnosed with this disease that attacks the nerve cells of the body and eventually leads to paralysis. Once diagnosed with this disease, one’s life expectancy is typically two to five years from the time of identification. Furthermore, it is estimated that “by the year of 2025, one in twenty-five individuals will be diagnosed with ALS, Parkinsons, or Alzheimer’s” (Fox News). It is likely that we will all know a family member, relative, or friend with one of these brain disorders in the near future. However, due to the amount of money raised and awareness spread throughout the world by means of the Ice Bucket Challenge, doctors and scientists are working extremely hard to find a cure in order to prevent these maladies.

In the summer of 2014, the Ice Bucket challenge went viral in the United States on many social media websites with celebrities, athletes, politicians, and everyday individuals posting creative videos of themselves online. Prior to this challenge, which according to The New York Times attributed to over 1.2 million Facebook videos, the awareness towards Lou Gehrig’s disease was quite limited. Unfortunately, only half of the American population had heard of this deadly disease at the time, but this was soon to change. After videos went viral, more and more individuals gathered to share and promote their awareness towards ALS. Individuals such as George W. Bush, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Steven Spielberg sent forth their videos in an attempt to raise money for this cause. On August 29th, the ALS Association announced that donations had surpassed and exceeded the $100 million mark, but more videos and donations were yet to be shared. The national response to this challenge prompted many to join the fun and eventually drew the likings of faculty at St. Peter’s Prep.

In response to a challenge from our cross-river counterpart, Fordham Prep, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took to prestigious Grand and Warren on September 15th. On that Monday afternoon, prep faculty members stood alongside Fr. Boller awaiting their chilly splash while seeking the help of the Prep student body to perform the much desired task in pouring a bucket of chilled ice water over a faculty member. Before joining his colleagues, Fr. Boller extended Fordham Prep’s challenge to other Jesuit secondary schools. The spotlight was directed to a few of Prep’s adult leaders which included the likes of Fr. Azzarto, Mr. DeAngelo, Mr. Morris, and Ms. Toomb, who gathered in the company of our large faculty in order to participate in the school wide event. As teachers and faculty members lined up on along the wall outside of the Moriarty Science Center, students had the much dreamt opportunity of dumping ice-cold water onto their teachers. Upon the countdown and cheers from the many spectators, the students stepped up and proceeded to pour the bucket of ice water onto the faculty. The shock delivered brought out a few shrieks as the soaked faculty members laughed off their heroic venture in this splashy fun for a good cause. Although the media attention from this summer phenomenon had begun to dissipate; our response to Fordham Prep’s daring challenge was truly memorable. While splashing teachers with water may have been a joyful moment for many students and spectators; the reasoning behind this gesture embodies a deeper intention in which promotes the awareness of ALS and encourage donations to research.

A link to the video can be found here: http://spprep.org/node/1397