MUMBAI: Actor and philanthropist Vivek Oberoi, who has been associated with several social causes like Cancer Patients’ Aid Association and runs the project DEVI in Mathura sponsoring the education of more than 3,500 girls, took up the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge at an event held Sept. 20 at a suburban five-star hotel.
The challenge fundraising drive has gone viral the world over, and Indian stars including Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Riteish Deshmukh took the challenge last year.
Oberoi, who took up the challenge in the presence of the Ice Bucket Challenge founder Nancy Frates, said, “Nancy has worked tirelessly for ALS awareness since her son, Peter, was diagnosed in 2012 with the disease. Peter is the inspiration behind the Ice Bucket Challenge, the viral fundraising phenomenon that has raised more than $140 million for ALS in 2014. For me, Nancy is the true hero, creating awareness and raising funds in such a unique way, saving so many lives.”
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone’s head to promote awareness of the disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and to encourage donations to research. It went viral on social media during July to August 2014.
The challenge encourages nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and then nominating others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated participants have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation.
On Aug. 1, 2015, the ALS Association re-introduced the Ice Bucket Challenge for 2015 to raise further funds with the intention of establishing it as an annual occurrence.