In the 2010s, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took America by storm as countless people promoted ALS awareness by publicly dumping buckets of ice water on their heads and sharing it on social media. Now, former NFL star Chris Johnson is hoping to bring it back to help raise awareness again.
Taking to X on Wednesday, Johnson's daughter brought it back first, challenging her family and LeBron James to start things off.
But while we're still waiting to see if LeBron accepts the ice bucket challenge, another former NFL star decided to take the initiative: Marshawn Lynch.
The running back once known as "Beast Mode," who began his own rise to national stardom at around the same time as Johnson, took to Instagram this morning and offered his "love and respect" to the former 2,000-yard rusher before having a friend dump the ice water on him.
History of the Ice Bucket Challenge
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge became a global phenomenon during the summer of 2014, encouraging participants to dump a bucket of ice water over their heads, donate to ALS research, and nominate others to do the same within 24 hours. Although similar fundraising challenges had existed previously, the campaign exploded after people living with ALS helped popularize it through social media.
Celebrities, athletes, politicians, business leaders, and millions of everyday participants took part, making the challenge one of the most successful viral fundraising campaigns in history. In just a few months, the ALS Association reportedly raised more than $115 million in the US alone, while ALS organizations around the world received tens of millions more in donations.
The Ice Bucket Challenge had a lasting impact on both ALS awareness and scientific research. The unprecedented influx of funding supported hundreds of research projects, expanded patient care programs, and accelerated efforts to better understand and treat the disease.
© Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Among its most notable achievements, challenge-funded research contributed to the identification of new ALS-associated genes, including NEK1, and helped advance clinical trials for potential therapies. Just as importantly, the campaign transformed public awareness of ALS, introducing millions of people to a disease that had previously received relatively little attention.
More than a decade later, the Ice Bucket Challenge remains one of the most successful examples of social media being used for charitable fundraising, demonstrating how a simple viral campaign can generate lasting benefits for medical research and patient support.
