Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen or at least heard about the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge” that is dominating social media timelines. From Oprah, to Dr. Dre and LeBron James, several celebrities have participated in the challenge, with even President Obama being nominated to get in on the fun.
But aside from some of your favorite celebrities participating in the challenge and making you laugh with their ice bucket videos, it’s important to note the importance behind the challenge.
ALS, which stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It’s an illness that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Every year approximately 5,600 people in the United States are diagnosed with the disease, with patients having a life expectancy of two to five years from the time of diagnosis. With the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge,” participants are asked to record themselves dumping a bucket of ice over their head, using the hashtags #icebucketchallenge, #alsicebucketchallenge, and #strikeoutals, while also nominating another person to complete the challenge. If the person doesn’t accept and complete their challenge nomination within 24 hours, they have to make a monetary donation to the ALS Association in an effort to fund research studies surrounding the disease. Luckily, many people have been accepting the challenge in addition to making a donation and as of Friday, Aug. 22, the challenge had raised $53.3 million in donations, a huge jump from the $2.2 million the organization had raised during this time last year.
With more and more celebrities joining in on the fun and supporting a good cause, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best celebrity ALS “Ice Bucket Challenges” done thus far.
After
getting called out by Tim McGraw to participate in the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge,” Tyler Perry accepted the nomination and donated money to the cause himself. He also nominated Gayle King, Ben Affleck, the entire Atlanta Falcons football team and Oprah Winfrey to accept the challenge.
Oprah Winfrey was a good sport and accepted Perry’s nomination with the help of her best friend Gayle King assisting in dumping the ice bucket over Momma O’s head. But before completing the challenge herself, Winfrey nominated film director Steven Spielberg, actress Dame Helen Mirren, and actor Manish Dayal.
Gayle King accepted the challenge from Tyler Perry and Nancy O’Dell and nominated LeBron James and Diane Von Furstenberg to participate. She completed the challenge, thanks to a little assistance from her daughter Kirby as she posted the video to her Instagram saying, “Looks like my favorite daughter Kirby enjoyed this a little too much.”
NBA star LeBron James accepted the challenge from various friends while traveling on a boat. Before getting doused with ice water, James nominated his sons LeBron Jr. and Bryce Maximus, as well as President Obama.
Scandal star and fab new mommy Kerry Washington accepted the challenge from her boss at ABC Bob Iger and from the Grey’s Anatomy cast. She nominated late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel to complete the challenge next.
Businessman and comedian Steve Harvey puffed on a cigar and accepted the challenge from Meredith Vieira. He nominated his fellow talk show hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Dr. Phil to get in on the fun and complete the challenge.
NBA’s MVP Kevin Durant accepted the “Ice Bucket Challenge” from fellow basketball peers Steve Nash and J.R. Smith. In exchange, he nominated more of his fellow NBA stars including LeBron James, and teammates Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins.
Actress Sanaa Lathan accepted the challenge from her friend Gabrielle Union #blackgirlstyle as she called it with a shower cap on to protect her hair. She nominated her acting friends Morris Chestnut, Michael Ealy, and Melissa De Sousa to complete the challenge.
Funnyman Kevin Hart was a good sport and accepting the challenge from NFL star Ben Roethlisberger and NBA star Chris Paul. He donated $10,000 to the organization and nominated Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, and LeBron James to complete the challenge.
Businessman and hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre accepted the “Ice Bucket Challenge” from Apple CEO Tim Cook. He nominated Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar to complete the challenge next.