With the growing popularity of the Ice Bucket Challenge, most people have heard of ALS, raised awareness, and even donated money to the cause. However, many still do not know what ALS stands for. ALS, or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a terrible sickness that affects roughly 30,000 Americans a year.

The official Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association website defines ALS as “a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. 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.”
Unfortunately, after being diagnosed with ALS, the average life expectancy is two to five years. Symptoms include, but aren’t limited to: muscle weaknesses, twitching and cramping of muscles, and difficulty in projecting one’s voice.

There are many ways to help support this cause, one of which is already commonly known. The Ice Bucket Challenge, which became a national trend during August of 2014, involves dumping a bucket of ice water on oneself while being filmed. The person then proceeds to give money to the ALSA and nominates other people to do the same. The ALSA requests that people use the hashtags #icebucketchallenge, #alsicebucketchallenge, and #strikeoutals when posting their challenge.

Tons of students have completed the Ice Bucket Challenge, including senior Jessica Chan.

“I think it worked well. It was something fun to do, lots of people did it and it led to a lot of people doing more research on it,” said Chan.  “It raised a ton of money and awareness.”

Celebrities who have completed the Ice Bucket Challenge include Neil Patrick Harris, Robert Pattinson, Jimmy Fallon, former president George W. Bush, Demi Lovato, Will Smith, Chris Pratt, Taylor Swift, LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and so many more. However, it is important to note that U.S. diplomats were banned from completing the Ice Bucket Challenge by lawyers at the State Department.

According to the ALSA website, as of Aug. 22, Ice Bucket donations reached $53.3 million. However, there are other ways to get involved, including signing up for “Walk to Defeat ALS,” starting one’s own fundraising event through “One Dollar Difference” or donating to “Community of Hope.”