IST Bill Creeden, left, and ED-CSO Kyle Evenson get drenched.
Volunteers accept “ice bucket challenge,” raise money to fight ALS
THERE WERE NO dry eyes — or other body parts — for several dozen volunteers at International headquarters, August 29, as they endured an ice water drenching in the fight against ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The International group, along with participants from Bank of Labor, raised more than $3,000 for the ALS Association. The drenching followed one earlier in the week put on by the National Funds Office.
International Secretary-Treasurer Bill Creeden and Executive Director of Construction Sector Operations Kyle Evenson led off the headquarters event, standing stoically as two buckets of ice water rained down upon them. Others in the “freeze line” anxiously waited their turn.
At the conclusion of the event, IST Creeden said, “I challenge every Boilermaker organization to do their part for ALS, too.”
The so-called “ice bucket challenge” has been sweeping the nation recently thanks largely to social media. There are variations of the fundraiser. Many people dump ice water on themselves, post a video of the drenching on the Internet, and challenge others to do the same. The gist of it is that if you refuse the drenching, you are obligated to donate to the cause. Many people both donate and take the drenching to demonstrate their support.
Just how successful has the campaign been for ALS? According to NBC News, the challenge has raised over $94 million so far this year (as of July 31).
ALS is a deterioration of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that controls voluntary muscle movement. There is no treatment or cure.
