Cancer charities freezing out ALS as they take over the latest charity craze...again
WARNING: The following content may be upsetting for those suffering from/recovering from/have suffered from cancer. No harm is meant by my words but if you are easily upset regarding cancer please do not read on.
So, August 2014 has seen the newest craze spread over the internet- the Ice Bucket Challenge. Not sure what this is? Google it. The Wikipedia definition reads "an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water over someones head to promote awareness of the diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ASL)". Once this has been done, the participant nominates some friends to also participate and donates to the charity. It's an excellent way to promote awareness of a disease that I will admit I did not know about until now. The videos posted on facebook are also humorous and encourage other people to join in, spreading awareness even more- excellent.
Except that, it seems a lot of people are missing the point of the Ice Bucket Challenge now.
Lets just take a minute to take in the key info of the definition. It involves a bucket. It involves ice water. And it is to promote awareness of the disease ASL. So why all of a sudden are people using washing up bowls, or even dinner bowls, instead of buckets? Why are people like infamous Katie Price using hot water rather than 'ice water'. Why are people doing the challenge for attention from their friends whilst forgetting to even mention ASL, what ASL is or even to donate?
Let me just point out now, for those who aren't aware- there is no challenge in throwing a washing up bowl of lukewarm water over your head. None at all. There is no challenge, Katie Price, in throwing a bowl of warm water over your head- you may as well have filmed yourself having a shower. What does create a challenge is throwing a bucket of freezing cold water with ice cubes over your head. That is a challenge and is something that takes guts.
The origin of the ice challenge is unknown, but what we do know is a few people have done similar challenges before, the 'Cold Water Challenge', which involved donating to a charity of your choice then jumping into cold water. Note that this is the Cold Water Challenge. The Ice Bucket Challenge is not about donating to your own charity. It is about donating to ALS and raising awareness of a disease that affects so many and yet so little people know what it's about. How many of you knew about ALS or had even heard of it before the Ice Bucket Challenge? I bet not many of you had.
It's excellent that a lesser known disease is being thrust into the limelight, and given the opportunity to share with the world what it is, and how it effects people. More uncommon diseases need this opportunity also, as well as other smaller charities that do so much for people and gain little recognition, such as the NSPCC.
So is anyone else in agreement with me that they were slightly annoyed when cancer charities started hijacking the Ice Bucket Challenge?
Don't get me wrong I am a strong supporter of any research towards eliminating cancer for good. It is a horrific illness that ruins families and causes so much grief among so many people- including myself and many close friends. It is selfish in who it chooses to target and who it chooses to keep alive. It is a horrific disease- but we are conquering it step by step. We are all aware of what cancer is, what it does, how it can effect anyone already. We know where to donate to cancer charities and we know how to. Basically, we are well informed on cancer. But we are not well informed on ALS. The Ice Bucket Challenge has thrown ALS into the limelight- suddenly, we are aware of another disease we didn't know about before. We have learnt about a new disease, a new charity to help even more people. Cancer charities such as Macmillan come along and they see the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge. They see how much money it raises. And so they join in.
So what happens next? Everyone thinks oh gosh, cancer. That kills so many people. I'll do an Ice Bucket Challenge (lukewarm washing up bowl challenge more like) for Cancer Research. And just like that yet again cancer charities have hogged the limelight of the latest craze. No longer are people donating to ALS. No longer are people concerned with ALS. They are consumed by the big C- cancer.
Let me just reiterate- I am not a bad person. I am all for supporting cancer research in any way I can, and if this is a way to raise more money for any cancer research based charity then that's brilliant. But I believe we already spend so much time and money on cancer. Would it really hurt for cancer charities to just one time not get involved and let another disease like ALS- which by the way kills people too- have a turn at taking the money from people's pockets to help people affected by it? Cancer charities, it is too late this time. Type 'Ice Bucket Challenge' into Google and the first thing that comes up is not about ALS. It is about Macmillan. But next time, maybe just leave the smaller charities trying to gain some attention alone. We all know about cancer and if we want to donate we know what to do. Smaller, unknown charities need opportunities like the Ice Bucket Challenge to help them out. They don't have the attention that charities like Cancer Research do. Not all charities for diseases have Midnight Walks and charity shops to support them and fund them. Not all charities and diseases have a big base of of people who donate and help out. Charities supporting diseases like ALS need all the help and attention they can get.
The Ice Bucket Challenge's point is being missed now. If your friend nominates you, think about it before you do it. Are you going to donate to ALS? Are you going to use a bucket filled with ice water? If you're thinking of doing a Katie Price, think again. If it's not going to raise awareness for ALS and if it's not going to be a 'challenge' then how is it in any relation to the 'Ice Bucket Challenge'? In the 21st century, we get caught up in social media crazes so easily- often forgetting where they originated from, or their true meaning.
Don't forget about ALS. It needs all the help it can get whilst it takes more lives every single day.
Love from,
Florence Grace
So, August 2014 has seen the newest craze spread over the internet- the Ice Bucket Challenge. Not sure what this is? Google it. The Wikipedia definition reads "an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water over someones head to promote awareness of the diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ASL)". Once this has been done, the participant nominates some friends to also participate and donates to the charity. It's an excellent way to promote awareness of a disease that I will admit I did not know about until now. The videos posted on facebook are also humorous and encourage other people to join in, spreading awareness even more- excellent.
Except that, it seems a lot of people are missing the point of the Ice Bucket Challenge now.
Lets just take a minute to take in the key info of the definition. It involves a bucket. It involves ice water. And it is to promote awareness of the disease ASL. So why all of a sudden are people using washing up bowls, or even dinner bowls, instead of buckets? Why are people like infamous Katie Price using hot water rather than 'ice water'. Why are people doing the challenge for attention from their friends whilst forgetting to even mention ASL, what ASL is or even to donate?
Let me just point out now, for those who aren't aware- there is no challenge in throwing a washing up bowl of lukewarm water over your head. None at all. There is no challenge, Katie Price, in throwing a bowl of warm water over your head- you may as well have filmed yourself having a shower. What does create a challenge is throwing a bucket of freezing cold water with ice cubes over your head. That is a challenge and is something that takes guts.
The origin of the ice challenge is unknown, but what we do know is a few people have done similar challenges before, the 'Cold Water Challenge', which involved donating to a charity of your choice then jumping into cold water. Note that this is the Cold Water Challenge. The Ice Bucket Challenge is not about donating to your own charity. It is about donating to ALS and raising awareness of a disease that affects so many and yet so little people know what it's about. How many of you knew about ALS or had even heard of it before the Ice Bucket Challenge? I bet not many of you had.
It's excellent that a lesser known disease is being thrust into the limelight, and given the opportunity to share with the world what it is, and how it effects people. More uncommon diseases need this opportunity also, as well as other smaller charities that do so much for people and gain little recognition, such as the NSPCC.
So is anyone else in agreement with me that they were slightly annoyed when cancer charities started hijacking the Ice Bucket Challenge?
Don't get me wrong I am a strong supporter of any research towards eliminating cancer for good. It is a horrific illness that ruins families and causes so much grief among so many people- including myself and many close friends. It is selfish in who it chooses to target and who it chooses to keep alive. It is a horrific disease- but we are conquering it step by step. We are all aware of what cancer is, what it does, how it can effect anyone already. We know where to donate to cancer charities and we know how to. Basically, we are well informed on cancer. But we are not well informed on ALS. The Ice Bucket Challenge has thrown ALS into the limelight- suddenly, we are aware of another disease we didn't know about before. We have learnt about a new disease, a new charity to help even more people. Cancer charities such as Macmillan come along and they see the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge. They see how much money it raises. And so they join in.
So what happens next? Everyone thinks oh gosh, cancer. That kills so many people. I'll do an Ice Bucket Challenge (lukewarm washing up bowl challenge more like) for Cancer Research. And just like that yet again cancer charities have hogged the limelight of the latest craze. No longer are people donating to ALS. No longer are people concerned with ALS. They are consumed by the big C- cancer.
Let me just reiterate- I am not a bad person. I am all for supporting cancer research in any way I can, and if this is a way to raise more money for any cancer research based charity then that's brilliant. But I believe we already spend so much time and money on cancer. Would it really hurt for cancer charities to just one time not get involved and let another disease like ALS- which by the way kills people too- have a turn at taking the money from people's pockets to help people affected by it? Cancer charities, it is too late this time. Type 'Ice Bucket Challenge' into Google and the first thing that comes up is not about ALS. It is about Macmillan. But next time, maybe just leave the smaller charities trying to gain some attention alone. We all know about cancer and if we want to donate we know what to do. Smaller, unknown charities need opportunities like the Ice Bucket Challenge to help them out. They don't have the attention that charities like Cancer Research do. Not all charities for diseases have Midnight Walks and charity shops to support them and fund them. Not all charities and diseases have a big base of of people who donate and help out. Charities supporting diseases like ALS need all the help and attention they can get.
The Ice Bucket Challenge's point is being missed now. If your friend nominates you, think about it before you do it. Are you going to donate to ALS? Are you going to use a bucket filled with ice water? If you're thinking of doing a Katie Price, think again. If it's not going to raise awareness for ALS and if it's not going to be a 'challenge' then how is it in any relation to the 'Ice Bucket Challenge'? In the 21st century, we get caught up in social media crazes so easily- often forgetting where they originated from, or their true meaning.
Don't forget about ALS. It needs all the help it can get whilst it takes more lives every single day.
Love from,
Florence Grace
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