Waverly Helps Douse ALS
Ellie Blake
Co-Editor-In-Chief
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is the latest trend to sweep the nation, getting celebrities, athletes and everyone in between to dump ice water on themselves to help raise awareness for ALS.
Thanks to the viral videos of people dunking themselves, ALS is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. In 2012, Pete Frates was diagnosed with ALS. Some of Frates’s friends came up with the idea of the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and funds for the ALS Association and support their friend while he’s trying to tackle this terrible disease.
Now that ALS has some recognition, people are starting to realize it’s effects.
“It’s a terrible disease that should be recognized, and the ice bucket challenge did a good job spreading awareness of it,” junior Hunter Buresh said.
The trend recently swept the District 145 community. Many students, teachers, coaches and clubs took part in this crazy challenge. The Drama Club Officers were one of the firsts to take on the Ice Bucket challenge. The WHS softball team, volleyball team and the marching band have all helped support the ALS Association.
In addition to students, teachers are taking part in the challenge.
“It brings awareness to something that prior to this probably didn’t get a lot of exposure,” science teacher Joel Fritz said.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a disease that is often referred to as Lou Gerhig’s disease. ALS affects the nerves in the spinal cord as well as the brain. Unfortunately, this disease usually leads to losing loss of control in muscles and speech. Eventually, ALS claims the life of it’s victims, typically through asphyxiation.
The point of the ALS challenge is to hopefully douse the disease. Thanks to the efforts of a few well-meaning friends, ALS is that much closer to being a thing of the past. If you’d like to learn more or donate, visit www.alsa.org.
