Ice Bucket: Go Big or Go Home (UPDATED)

This is a guest blog by the author's husband . . .

You might have noticed the viral phenomenon of people pouring buckets of ice water over their heads to raise awareness (and funds) for ALS research. 

Within 24 hours of being challenged, participants have to record a video of themselves in continuous footage. First, they are to announce their acceptance of the challenge followed by pouring ice into a bucket of water. Then, the bucket is to be lifted and poured over the participant's head. Then the participant can call out a challenge to other people.

Whether people choose to donate, perform the challenge, or do both varies. In one version of the challenge, the participant is expected to donate $10 if they have poured the ice water over their head or donate $100 if they have not. In another version, dumping the ice water over the participant's head is done in lieu of any donation . . .

This is not the first incarnation of the ice bucket challenge. In fact it has been done previously in similar forms to benefit cancer research, the Special Olympics, and other charities.

This go around, however, has been largely associated with ALS and seems to be everywhere: professional athletes, former Presidents, news anchors and all sorts of normal people like you and me have been nominated to participate in the challenge. As the challenge spread, like a disease, I saw friends, family and church members taking up the challenge and passing it on to others.
I knew it was only a matter of time.
This week the inevitable happened—I was finally nominated by a member of our church. While I am recommending him to the board for discipline (there has to be something in the Bible about wishing cold water on your pastor), I still felt I had to show that I wasn't going to wimp out and I could handle a little cold water.
So I'm posting the evidence here on my wife's blog.

A couple more things:

*I normally don’t post much on facebook or similar media sites.  So I’ve asked permission to post here. 

*I also don’t normally solicit funds for causes, especially on media sites.  That being said ALS research is a worthy cause. I recommend research entities such as the ALS Therapy Development Institute.  There is more than one organization doing valuable research and that is one whose method of research and fundraising I feel comfortable recommending.

*There are also many other causes worth contributing to: Cancer Research, Samaritan’s Purse, etc.  I don’t care where people choose to give their funds.  It’s not like ALS has sole proprietorship over money raise from buckets filled with ice . . .  However, if all nominated gave an extra $10 to some worthwhile charity that would, collectively make a significant amount.  I’ll pick my own, you pick yours (whether its ALS research or something else).

*FINALLY, as a former youth pastor the ice bucket challenge seemed very tiny and far too easy.  I figured if I was going to participate it was GO BIG OR GO HOME.  I decided my bucket challenge needed to be done on a larger scale. 

And, yes, it was cold and full of plenty of ice (25 lbs. to be exact).  I would have put in even more ice but there was only so much in the freezer and I didn’t want to break the bank by buying any more. 

So here it is.  Proof. (by the way my wife and associate pastor were witnesses of the icy temperature of the water).

It was cold but as a former youth pastor from the Northwest I’ve swam at the Oregon coast (and in mountain streams).  I’ve done polar bear challenges and faced the “ten buckets of doom.” No big deal, really.

But it does give me a chance to nominate my oldest son.  Have fun Garrett.

UPDATE:
Because my son had been challenged the freezer was emptied of ice to fill this bucket:

Garrett completed his challenge you can see the proof here:

And Matthew promptly fulfilled his challenge and issued one of his own: