ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

One of the big trends this summer was the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  It was getting so big on Facebook and Instagram that the girls were starting to get nominated for the challenge.  It consisted of dumping a bucket of ice water over your head, filming it, and then donating to the ALS foundation.  the girls didn't know it, but their own great grandmother passed away due to ALS.  I shared this information with them along with a great description of the disease from my friend Rhonda:

"Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. It's a cruel cruel disease and anyone can have it and not even know. It badly needs more research. As right now it's a death sentence for sure if you have it."

Both Heather and Jenna wanted to take part in the challenge and donate their own money.  I was so proud of them for wanting to be a part of this for their grandmother.  In the end this challenged raised over 100 MILLION dollars as well as necessary awareness for those suffering from the disease.  The celebrity involvement helped tremendously in raising awareness for the cause.  One of our favorite actors, Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), was a great supporter before the challenge, and he took part in several ice bucket plunges.  We hope the money will be beneficial in finding a cure.  It is an awful disease.