How the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge started

The Internet is awash with viral videos of the rich and famous dousing themselves with buckets of ice cold water to raise money for charity, but how did this strange and amusing trend start?

Unless you have been living in a cave, you cannot have failed to have noticed a spate of videos of billionaire business moguls, sportsmen even former Presidents tipping buckets of freezing water over themselves.

The action is aimed at raising money for research into ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a form of motor neurone disease) and in the UK to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Macmillan Cancer Support.

But braving freezing water is not enough, a small donation is also expected and so far #icebucketchallenge has raised more than £13.8 million for charity.

After an icy soaking the participant then nominates two or three further people to undertake the challenge within 24 hours. Those who forfeit the challenge must donate a larger sum of money to a good cause.

The success of the challenge as a fundraising venture is unquestionable, but how did the viral trend start?

On 15 July a golfer in Florida, Charles Kennedy, was nominated by a friend to do an Ice Bucket Challenge.

At the time, the challenge was not connected to a particular charity, but Mr Kennedy decided that the money raised by his ice bucket challenge should go to ALS because his cousin suffered from the disease.

He then nominated his cousin's wife to soak herself and urge others to take it on. It then reached the radar of another ALS sufferer, Pat Quinn from New York.

The 31-year-old launched the campaign with the help of friend Pete Frates, a former Boston college basketball player who also suffers from the condition.

Mr Frates is credited with helping the challenge truly go viral after he posted a video nominating friends and stars including US football player Tom Brady. And from there it simply spiralled ...

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