Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you’re aware that this summer’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been spreading over the internet, especially over the hockey community. I’m happy to announce that it’s finally come to our corner of the internet thanks to @jennyquarx nominating us. Not just me, but all of us.
If you haven’t made yourself totally aware of what the challenge is about or why it’s going on, head over to ALSA.Org. and learn.
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.
The ALS Association also estimates that diagnoses average out to about 15 new cases per day in the United States. While there’s currently no cure for the disease, people are living longer and more-comfortably now thanks in large part to advanced treatments. The ALS Association continues to push both for better research into treatment and for treatment of those affected by the disease.
To date, the Ice Bucket Challenge has so far raised more than $10M for the foundation. All we ask is $10 more from each person reading this. Please head here and click on the donate button.
