Maria Pavy- Around the country, a popular charity movement has spread. The ice bucket challenge includes a participant either donate $100 to the ALS Association, or  donate $10 and fill up a bucket with ice water to dump on their heads. Afterwards, the participant is required to nominate three other people to participate in the challenge, and if the nominated people do not complete it within 24 hours, then $100 has to be donated to the charity. After millions of participants, this challenge has changed the way charities think about fundraising.

Otherwise known as ALS, the amytrophic lateral sclerosis is an incurable disease that affects motor neurons, such as the spinal and muscles. It is something that affects middle aged adults. It comes and deteriorates the body quickly, and it often becomes fatal.

After being diagnosed with ALS, a man named Peter Frates was determined to make a difference, according to “Time”. A previous baseball player, he challenged his friends to take the challenge and left it with the hashtag #StrikeOutALS and #Quinnforthewin. Suddenly, the challenge and movement became viral, and it spread throughout the country.

Several students at FHS have participated in the challenge, all for the purpose of spreading awareness of the disease.

“I got nominated by one of my friends, and it is for a good cause so I wanted to participate in it,” sophomore Sydney Aylward said.

It is not just students participating,  but athletic teams, teachers, and even Principal Jason Urban. See Urban’s ALS challenge here. The challenge has spread throughout the high school and throughout the country.

“My friend and I just put a lot of ice in a bucket and it was really heavy so it was hard to lift up,” Aylward said. “It was really cold, but it was a lot of fun.”