The Ice Bucket Challenge!

Posted on September 3, 2014
The Ice Bucket Challenge!

The Ice Bucket Challenge, is also called as the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge”, is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone's head to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to research. It went viral throughout social media during July-August 2014. In the US, people participate for the ALS Association, and in the UK, people participate for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The challenge dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and challenging others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated people have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation.

I personally love this concept simply for the reason being: it is such a successful & innovative campaign! Starting from George W Bush; to Barack Obama; to Britney Spears; to David Beckham; to Mike Tyson – each and every one of them is participating. I see people are doing it in Australia, Africa, India, Europe and America. How cool is that? Within no time; only between July and August 2014; it has become such a phenomenon across the world! To me; it is a guiding trend, which shows us how quickly foundations/causes can be promoted/marketed/achieved using social media.

Some complained about wastage of water by undertaking such act. My logic is simple. One, who pours a bucket of water over his head, may be seeing it as an alternative to his/her daily dosage of bath. If bath can not be considered as wastage of water, why should this be? For the amount of money that has been collected though this activity in last two months or will be collected in the future – imagine how much water we can make available, if question is about wastage of water.

Some say it is public stunt – common – why should George W Bush, Barack Obama, Britney Spears, John Myers or David Beckhams will do Public stunt? To become famous? Think about it!

Some say; just donate money and don’t put up this farce! Farce? Millions of people doing things collectively across the globe for a cause, while having fun themselves – is farce to us? LET’S MATURE UP! How often we see this being undertaken by so many people across the world? How often we see this being so successful?

If we can’t tolerate seeing others having fun or others achieving a great cause collectively/successfully – then there is certainly some problem within ourselves, not outside. We need to identify our problem within and get this healed. Naturally; we should be admiring of such efforts, as it is for a great cause and a lot of people are having fun as well at the same time.

Others make fun or get judgemental with how the campaign was carried out or how the water was poured or what the person taking the challenge spoke or what he wore or how much of water was used. They get into the nitty-gritty. But how does it matter? Its fun, nothing official about it. There is no law defined to authenticate the process or procedure. So let’s take a chill-pill!!! Are we able to agree that this is a hugely successful campaign like never before?  And it was successful because of those, who dared to participate, rather than those who chose to stay away but engaged in complaining/blaming/becoming-judgmental or suggested to stop this campaign!

This campaign has showed us a direction UNIVERSALLY; that there are ways to make things KNOWN quickly, all around the world and also raise money for a charitable cause using innovative social media campaign. Are we able to agree/accept this or learn from this?

Please support.  Don’t break. Smile and let others smile. We need to start doing thinks together, make things together…we need to be social…live like a big family. 

Bikash MohantyBikash Mohanty"Welcome to my website!
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