Ice Bucket Challenge.

There has been a lot of eye rolling when it comes to the Ice Bucket Challenge, and I think a lot of that has to do with people being heartless uninformed. While I'm not even close to an expert on the subject, I'm hoping to shed some light on a few of the questions people have been asking. 
Like most people that have taken the Ice Bucket Challenge, I had no idea what ALS was before this challenge. While I had heard of Lou Gehrig's Disease, I didn't know what it was or anything about it. According to the ALS website, it's a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. There's no cure, and having the disease eventually leads to paralysis and later, death. Because it's currently incurable, it's so important for us to come together and raise awareness of this disease. The more people able to donate to the cause, the closer we are to fighting the disease.
Why the ice bucket? The sensation a person feels when a bucket of ice water is poured on their head is comparable to how a person with the disease feels. While we feel just a moment of loss of control, the people who have the disease feel that times a thousand, and it's only downhill from there. 
Thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge, donations have already surpassed $15 million just this year, which is gargantuan compared to the $1.8 million donated at this same time last year. So for those of you who don't understand why this challenge has gone viral, it's for that very reason! We are raising awareness and fighting to find a cure. I think it's so beautiful that so many celebrities like Taylor Swift, Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Chris Pratt and Jimmy Fallon and influencers like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates have taken the challenge and donated to this awesome cause!
The challenge says to either pour a bucket of ice water on your head  and donate $10 or don't pour a bucket of ice water on your head and donate $100 to the cause.  I opted to pour ice water on my head and donate, and you should too, even if you weren't officially nominated. I know there has been some speculation about the drought in California as well, and while there isn't a drought going on in Louisiana, I can still understand why you wouldn't want to partake in pouring ice water on your head and waste that precious water. That's where the alternative of the challenge comes in. The Ice Bucket Challenge doesn't just say pour ice water on your head; it also says that you can donate to the cause in lieu of that, which hopefully you do.

For the naysayers, yes, there are some people who are choosing to pour ice water on their heads instead of donating, but the majority of people fulfilling the challenge are doing both. While some people may still have a negative concept of pouring ice water on your head, by doing the challenge, you're spreading the word and making more people aware of the disease, which is helping us get one step closer to finding a cure. If you're still not convinced, read this incredible blog post from the perspective of a woman dealing with the disease firsthand. If you haven't been nominated yet, and would like to be, consider this your official nomination. I was challenged by my friend, Lauren, who I met while traveling with EF College Break. I challenged my friends, Anamaria, Mandy, Analeigh, and Tyler, and my blog friends, Nina, Emily, and Raewyn!