The ice bucket challenge to end Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS has spread quickly through social media. A group of Kansas legislators took the challenge on Friday in Wichita. KMUW’s Abigail Wilson has more...
Several city, county and state officials took the challenge Friday afternoon in Wichita’s Naftzger Memorial Park. Lauren Walsh of the ALS association says the challenge started in Boston.
“There was a couple that he had ALS and his wife challenged their friends to do this and either dump a bucket of ice over their head or donate $100 to an ALS organization and it just skyrocketed.”
Participants included City Council Member Janet Miller, County Commissioner Jim Skelton, State Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau, and State Representatives Steve Anthimides, Carolyn Bridges, John Carmichael, Les Osterman, Jim Ward, and Brandon Whipple.
Friday’s challenged was initiated by Whipple.
“It doesn't' surprise me that when you have a cause such at this, people from both sides are getting together to do what we feel is right which is to promote awareness of this terrible disease.”
After the challenge, all of the officials handed a donation to Walsh. She said in the past week alone, $10 million had been raised for ALS. The officials plan to challenge other legislators from Johnson and Shawnee counties.