Guess what—the Ice Bucket Challenge is on! This new, viral phenomenon that was previously used to raise awareness for ALS is now working to bring attention to mental health. The challenge originally started back in 2014. It tasked participants with dumping buckets of ice water over their heads and posting their videos to social media platforms. The goal was to increase awareness and money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
ALS is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disease. As a progressive neurodegenerative disease, it primarily affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, causing widespread muscle weakness and eventually death. Lou Gehrig, the iconic American baseball player, made the disease famous by dying of it. The Ice Bucket Challenge was a critical component of an unprecedented intervention that raised ~$185 million in the U.S. It produced another $35 million overseas.
The challenge immediately went viral and attracted participants across various socio-economic classes. High school students all over the nation participated right alongside stars and billionaires such as Taylor Swift and Bill Gates. Participants were encouraged to tag three others to continue the challenge, creating a chain reaction of ice water pourings and viral videos aimed at educating the public about ALS.
Wade Jefferson, a sophomore at the University of Southern California, recently started an initiative based on that original Ice Bucket Challenge. As the founder of MIND club, Ireland’s Mental Health Awareness Club, he wants to spread awareness for mental health by taking this unorthodox approach. “It started as a random idea, inspired by the original ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and how powerful that movement was,” Jefferson stated.
The new campaign hopes to capture that motivation, spirit and excitement which propelled the original challenge to such great success. Jefferson said he was proud to see high-profile figures, like Peyton Manning, getting involved with this new and improved challenge. We knew we wanted to import that same vibe to mental health. Watching it take off — and especially seeing people we admire, like Peyton Manning, get on board — has been a bit surreal. Retrospectively we’re proud, we’re so grateful, and we’re just sort of excited to see how far it’s gone and continue to go,” he added.
Alison Malmon, Founder & Executive Director of Active Minds, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “This campaign is everything Active Minds stands for — bold, mission-driven, and youth-led.” The intention of our efforts goes beyond just raising money, but to spark dialogues about mental health with our youth.
Wade Jefferson further elaborated on the campaign’s impact: “To see youth and young adults take an iconic viral moment and breathe new life into it for mental health advocacy is incredibly powerful. It’s proof that when young people rally together with passion and purpose, they don’t just raise awareness—they ignite a movement. This is how we create a new era of mental health.”
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