So far, Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella, former CEO Steve Ballmer, chairman and former CEO Bill Gates had done the ALS ice bucket challenge. Now, you can add Bill Gates’ wife, and co-chair of the Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates to the list.
Melinda, in turn, has challenged television personalities Katie Couric, Stephen Colbert, entrepreneur Yuri Milner, and her daughter Phoebe Gates. If they accept the challenge, it will continue to bring more attention and raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
The ALS ice bucket challenge is a movement to raise awareness through social media. The participant dumps a bucket of ice filled water on their head — Melinda’s hat may be seen as cheating here — and then are allowed to challenge others to either do the same or donate to the cause, or both. The video is shared through twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and sites such as this, bringing attention to ALS.
ALS is a not widely known disease where the patient slowly loses control over their body, eventually leading to their death. Stephan Hawking is one of the more famous — for the lack of a better word — patients of ALS and has been bringing awareness to it for years. While this ice bucket challenge may not, by itself, be impressive or important, the campaign’s aim is to bring attention to this tragic disease, leading to donations or funding for research to find its cure.
The videos are embedded below for your convenience.
Further reading: ALS, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Microsoft, Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer
