Daily Lessons from Life 26 August 2014 - Controversial Ice Bucket Challenge?!

There is this latest fad called: Ice Bucket Challenge. The founder or co-founders died recently due to an early morning diving accident. I did not find out why would he go diving at night.

It was done to raise awareness and cash for an ailment known as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease) and it was such a rage in recent time as celebrities and ex-Presidents of USA were participating in drove.

It also spawned some contrasting debates on its merits or otherwise with views like:

1. it is just a marketing stunt by the 'fame seekers';

2. it is a waste of precious scarce resources, water, as many places in the world are in water shortage situations;

3. it does not come close to make the donors or participants 'feel' the challenges of the ALS patients vs. the 'Shave for Cancer' initiative when donors get their head shaved BALD to empathise with the cancer patients who will lose their hairs after undergoing chemo therapy;

4. etc, etc.

Other says:

1. it is good as it raise awareness and raise fund for this little know disease even with a very famous scientific genius known as Stephen Hawking! So, it should be ok;

2. one can always use other means to replace the precious water if it is deemed a waste. E.g. in Thailand, the 'Ice Bucket Challenge' organizers fill the bucket with race that are re-use! In Gaze when they use sands or rabbles from the broken homes and bombed out building!;

3. the 'feeling as close to what the ALS sufferers' feel' is the ideal situation. As long as the people become more aware, it is good enough,;

4. etc, etc.

For me, it is really UP TO YOU to decide! Are you doing it OUT of peer pressure? If so, DON'T do it. For me, I have certain charities that I had supported consistently since 2008. I will stick to it. I will leave the donors who are passionate about ALS to do their jobs.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing for me is: are those donations channelled to the people who need it to fund research, to assist the sufferers and their caretakers and to make their lives of a normal quality.