It’s for a good cause, I swear.

By Christine Bach | Staff Writer

Okay, the ALS ice bucket challenge.

You’ve done it, your favorite celebrities have done it, even your mom might’ve done it.

Excuse the redundancy, but I’ve got to make sure we’re all on the same page. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neurodegenerative disease, and people with ALS lose their ability to perform basic functions like walk and speak. In the challenge, you dump ice-cold water on yourself because the sensation you get is similar to what ALS patients feel.

It sounds great that the ice bucket challenge has become so widespread because of social media, right? Because it’s raising more awareness and funds for ALS research right?

It is. Now hear me out before lashing out.

At the end of the day, we can’t deny that the money is going to charity and is going towards saving lives. We can’t deny that too many people suffered, suffer, and will suffer from ALS, a disease that doesn’t discriminate against race, gender, or age.

“But it’s a waste of water!” “People are only doing it for attention!” “It’s dumb!”

Well, don’t be the idiot who pours ten gallons of water on the concrete. And of course people are doing it for attention, but would you have known about ALS had it not been for the ice bucket challenge? Would ALS charities have raised millions of dollars if it hadn’t been for all that attention? Is it dumb that we’re donating money to find a cure for ALS? Is it dumb to save lives?

But it is a wasteful use of water, no matter how much water you’re using. When there are people in San Joaquin, CA receiving water rations, we can’t be so careless with our water. If you don’t believe in the ice bucket challenge, then don’t do it. Who cares? You can still donate to the cause.