A bucket of ice slowly became a powerful movement for research on people with mental health problems.
Recently the USC Ice Bucket challenge took social media by a storm, making a silly dare into a powerful movement to raise awareness for mental health with a foundation called Active Minds, The #Speakyourmind ice bucket challenge was started by USC students in the MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) club last month, as a way to honor a student who died by suicide.
“The USC Ice Bucket challenge is significant since it raises awareness of mental health and suicide prevention and to speak our minds,” junior Jhun Abarquez said.
Yesterday, the ALS Association and Active Minds announced a collaboration to raise awareness for ALS and mental health. As the Ice Bucket Challenge is once again viral. The organizations will both honor the Challenge’s origins while supporting the new meaning.
“At first I thought it was a silly Ice bucket challenge, and I really didn’t know the true meaning of it,” junior Natalia Herrera said. “But now I understand that I did this for people that deal with mental health problems, it’s always good to reach out and get help if you’re going through a hard time.”
The club is hoping that participants will be moved to donate to Active Minds, a national youth mental health nonprofit program. According to FoxNews, the group has raised $400,000 with the challenge.
“It’s good that many people are doing this challenge on their Instagram,” Abarquez said. “I really saw it spread throughout my whole community.”
The original Ice Bucket Challenge raised $220 million worldwide in 2014, according to the ALS Association. For the ALS Association itself the challenge brought in about $115 million.
“I didn’t even know that the ALS Association was also raising money until I looked it up on Google,” junior Ximena Banda said. “I only thought that you had to do the Ice Bucket Challenge.”
Participants can either dump a bucket of ice water over their head and donate $10 or skip the water and donate $100. They have 24 hours to complete the challenge, and if they choose the ice bucket challenge they have to upload a video as proof.
“I’ve already gotten nominated a lot of times for the Ice Bucket Challenge.” Banda said. “I have to hurry up and upload my video up on instagram.”
