ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: What it is and how the social media frenzy started

By now, the Ice Bucket Challenge is probably filling up your Facebook and Twitter feeds. 

What has spread across the U.S. like wildfire has now gone global, as actors and sports figures such as Latin singers Juanes, Shakira, Univision weather anchor Jackie Guerrido, Argentinian soccer star Leonel Messi and European soccer stud Cristiano Ronaldo have all completed the much talked about challenge.

Cristiano Ronaldo pleased the ladies shirtless and in undies and took the ice bucket challenge. He challenged Messi, JLO and Lil Wayne in return

But the challenge is not done yet.

The viral fundraiser consists of people challenging their friends and relatives to either dump a bucket of ice water over their head or donate $100 to an ALS-related charity. Ten million dollars have already been raised and more than 1.2 million people have shared their own ALS Ice Bucket videos on Facebook.

These donations came from both existing donors and 307,598 new donors to the Association.

TV presenters Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard opted to get doused live on Good Morning Britain on Monday

How did it start? According to TIME, the challenge began as a way to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, was challenged by Ethel Kennedy but declined, opting to contribute to the campaign with a donation of $100. Justin Bieber, LeBron James, and “Weird” Al Yankovic also challenged President Obama after completing the Ice Bucket Challenge