Millions of people around the world have been pouring ice water on their heads in a campaign to raise awareness and money in the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. From ordinary individuals to the likes of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Twitter founder Dick Costolo and Apple CEO Tim Cook have participated in what’s being called the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ in a bid to raise awareness and funds for the cause. The programme urges people to do the challenge themselves and then challenge another person to do the same. It also urges those not willing to stand freezing to donate dollars instead, and many tech CEOs have taken both routes to spread awareness.
Zuckerberg was challenged by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and he went on to urge Bill Gates, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings for the Ice Bucket Challenge. Here are a few videos that really stood out. This is Canadian ice hockey players Paul Bissonette taking the challenge to an altogether new height.
And here’s talk-show host Conan O’Brien.
Apple CEO Cook also took part at a company event.
And here’s Zuckerberg doing the challenge after being challenged by NJ Governor Christie.
Nadella had a bucket of ice water poured on his head and then challenged Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Google’s Larry Page to do the same. Other tech luminaries to join in on the fun were Apple’s Senior VP of Marketing Phil Schiller, actor Chris O’Donnell and artist Justin Timberlake. “Between July 29 and today, August 12, The ALS Association and its 38 chapters have received an astonishing $4 million in donations compared to $1.12 million during the same time period last year,” the association said this week. “We have never seen anything like this in the history of the disease,” said Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO of the ALS Association.