Five Year Anniversary – ALS CONNECT

The Year That Was—Looking Back

It’s the time of year where you almost can’t help looking back. In a few short days 2019 will be no more. The year has been one of milestones and new beginnings for us here at the ALS Association St. Louis Regional Chapter, and while we are looking back we wanted to include you and remember what a year it’s been.

The Ice Bucket Challenge—Looking Back to Look Forward

We’ve spent some time here and on social media over the last couple of months looking back at the Ice Bucket Challenge. The occasion, of course, was the fifth anniversary of the Challenge, and the chance to remember and recognize some of the people, companies and organizations who took part in the Challenge and have joined us on the journey to support those with ALS and the quest to find new treatments and, someday, a cure.

But the risk of looking back is that you’ll forget to look forward. So as we move into the next five years since the Ice Bucket Challenge, we wanted to focus on what the dollars contributed by you in our community continue to do to make a difference.

Five Years Later—The Ice Bucket Challenge and YOU!

Let’s not kid ourselves, we can all use help with our memory from time to time. Maybe it’s a prompt like “where did you have it last?” or “Don’t forget Aunt Sally’s birthday is coming up.” Likewise, it can be hard to find the time to sit back and remember “that time when….” We are all busy, and maybe we’ll have time next week, or next month, or after school starts, or after school ends, to look back.

Still, this is one area where social media has been a help. Without that reminder from Facebook or Timehop, you might not remember that time when you took the time to watch the sunset, or won $25 from that scratch-off lottery ticket, or dumped a bucket of ice water over your head.

Five Years Later—Dr. Hayat Remembers the Ice Bucket Challenge

Five years ago, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was soaking the world and bringing unprecedented attention to ALS. Last week on ALS Connect, we looked back on some of the relationships with corporate partners the Ice Bucket Challenge started or grew for the ALS Association St. Louis Regional Chapter. But for those already on the front line of the fight to treat ALS, the Challenge had special meaning. It brought attention, and funding, to a disease that many had been working tirelessly on for years. Among those people are the many that work at ALS Multidisciplinary Clinics across our region.

Five Years Later—The Ice Bucket Challenge & Corporate Partners

It was the summer of 2014, and in St. Louis it was hot—nothing unusual about that. What was unusual was that people from all walks of life were pouring buckets of ice all over their heads. And not just to cool down, but for a cause. And it wasn’t just happening in St. Louis, but across the country, and even the world.

This was, of course, the Ice Bucket Challenge, the viral video phenomenon that took over social media and raised awareness—and over $115 million—for ALS.

The ALS Association St. Louis Regional Chapter was swept up in the phenomenon just like everybody else. People, companies and organizations across the region were taking the challenge. Some we knew already, most we didn’t, but with every new video and donation, the whirlwind of “that summer” got wilder and wilder.