Many people have seen people doing the ice bucket challenge and perhaps you’ve done it too. But some people do this challenge not knowing what the purpose for this challenge is.

Even though it has become a pop culture event, the ice bucket challenge has raised not only awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)  but also raised over 100 million dollars. So what is the ice bucket challenge? The ice bucket challenge is a charity for ALS.  ALS is a disease that effects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord on the body. So the brain loses the ability to control and move the muscles. This disease can strike anyone but it is  not contagious.  It  commonly strikes people from 40 to 70.

ALS is also often referred to Lou  Gehrig’s dieses. Lou Gehrig was a baseball player who   played for the New York Yankees in 1923. Lou Gehrig was known as the iron horse for his  lifetime batting average of  .340 and is one of only seven Major League players with more than 100 extra-base hits in a season witch only Gehrig and outfielder Chuck Klein achieved twice.  His triumphs on the field also helped to lead the Yankees to  garner six World Series championships.