The Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket Challenge has gone viral, and even grandmas aren't safe! Two of my granddaughters just challenged me.

So will I do it or not? A cooler of ice water might feel pretty good in Phoenix this time of year, but I'd have to hunt up a neighbor, and most of them have fled to Colorado or northern Arizona.

Just to be clear, if you are challenged, you have a choice: get dunked or make a donation to support ALS research.

Here's the website for ALSA. http://www.alsa.org/donate/

I'll be making my video tomorrow, and it will show me writing a check.

Compared to cancer, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's, ALS is a relatively rare disease, and that is why this boost in funding is so wonderful. In the past, ALSA raised money through Walks to DeFeat ALS. With so few people affected by the disease, the turnout of sponsored walkers was comparatively low. But numbers can be deceiving.

When I've read excerpts of my novel, Montpelier Tomorrow, in front of civic groups, I've been amazed at how many in the audience have acquaintances or friends who've died of ALS. I hope the Ice Bucket Challenge goes on and on, raising money and raising awareness.

According to ALSA, "about 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. The incidence of ALS is two per 100,000 people, and it is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans may have the disease at any given time."