Ice Bucket Challenge Has Florida ALS Donations Pouring In

From the Tampa Bay Bucs to everyday people down the street, Floridians are jumping on the Ice Bucket Challenge in droves. As they do, the state’s chapter of the ALS Association is seeing its donations rise dramatically.

Donations to the state chapter, which seeks to find a cure for the neurological disorder, only totaled about $27,517 between July 22 and Aug. 14 last year. This year, that number has topped $63,000 for the same period, according to the Bradenton Herald.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is getting the credit for the spike in funding. The national association’s donations rose from $1.7 million last year to more than $11 million so far this year, the ALS Association’s website said.

Those who are “challenged” have a one-day period to dump a bucket of ice water on their heads or make a donation to an ALS-related charity.

ALS is a progressive neurological disease that affects brain cells and the spinal cord, leading to paralysis and eventually death. The disease affects an estimated 30,000 Americans at any given time, the ALS Association reports.

The challenge became a sensation over the summer and its popularity continues to grow. Earlier this month, Ethel Kennedy, the 86-year-old widow of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, took the challenge and named President Barack Obama as her desired successor. The Commander-In-Chief, however, has declined, saying he’d prefer to make a donation instead.

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Photo Credit: Screenshot of Tampa Bay Buccaneer Gerald McCoy.