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Posted on Aug 7, 2014

Here's Why All Of Your Facebook Friends Are Taking The #IceBucketChallenge

It's a meme for a good cause!

by Ryan Broderick

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Have you noticed a lot of people posting videos lately tagged with #IceBucketChallenge?

It's pretty much everywhere you look this summer.

The whole meme started with Boston native Peter Frates. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Frates was a star athlete at Boston College and the diagnosis effectively ended his sports career. He's now working to raise awareness and funds to aid research into the disease.

Frates' former teammates issued the challenge to their friends and it started spreading.

They based it on a game pro golfers were doing for charity and the two causes collided, then the #IceBucketChallenge became a huge thing.

Since then it's spun out to the whole internet, with people nominating 10 friends who then pass it on.

On Thursday, 200 people in Boston took it at once.

BostonTweet@BostonTweet Follow
200 buckets of ice are waiting in Copley Square for the Boston #IceBucketChallenge. 1pm
12:41 PM - 07 Aug 14 Reply Retweet Favorite

A few days before that the Boston Police Department all accepted the challenge.

Karen Anderson@karenreports Follow
Great shot! @bostonpolice #IceBucketChallenge #strikeoutals for @PeteFrates3! @RachelOMcGuire @DeputyGross #wcvb
11:03 AM - 05 Aug 14 Reply Retweet Favorite

As well as the mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh.

It's still huge in Massachusetts, but thanks to huge chunks of Facebook tagging each other, it's now happening all over the country.

The way it connects with ALS research is that if you nominate someone and they don't accept the challenge they have to donate $100 to an ALS charity.

Virginia Football@UVa_Football Follow
#UVa Tom Oâ€™Brien takes #IceBucketChallenge to honor former Eagles. @PeteFrates3 @BCSportsNews
http://t.co/L0qa0G5ArM
11:55 AM - 07 Aug 14 Reply Retweet Favorite

Here's Why All Of Your Facebook Friends Are Taking The #IceBucketChallenge

Have you noticed a lot of people posting videos lately tagged with #IceBucketChallenge?

It's pretty much everywhere you look this summer.

The whole meme started with Boston native Peter Frates. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Frates was a star athlete at Boston College and the diagnosis effectively ended his sports career. He's now working to raise awareness and funds to aid research into the disease.

Frates' former teammates issued the challenge to their friends and it started spreading.

They based it on a game pro golfers were doing for charity and the two causes collided, then the #IceBucketChallenge became a huge thing.

Since then it's spun out to the whole internet, with people nominating 10 friends who then pass it on.

On Thursday, 200 people in Boston took it at once.

A few days before that the Boston Police Department all accepted the challenge.

As well as the mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh.

View this post on Facebook

It's still huge in Massachusetts, but thanks to huge chunks of Facebook tagging each other, it's now happening all over the country.

View this post on Facebook

The way it connects with ALS research is that if you nominate someone and they don't accept the challenge they have to donate $100 to an ALS charity.

My little sister, living in Boston, nominated me, so I decided to take it on behalf of BuzzFeed. And we're nominating the rest of the internet!

(Sorry about my gross stomach...)

Here's Why All Of Your Facebook Friends Are Taking The #IceBucketChallenge

Have you noticed a lot of people posting videos lately tagged with #IceBucketChallenge?

It's pretty much everywhere you look this summer.

The whole meme started with Boston native Peter Frates. Two years ago, he was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Frates was a star athlete at Boston College and the diagnosis effectively ended his sports career. He's now working to raise awareness and funds to aid research into the disease.

Frates' former teammates issued the challenge to their friends and it started spreading.

They based it on a game pro golfers were doing for charity and the two causes collided, then the #IceBucketChallenge became a huge thing.

Since then it's spun out to the whole internet, with people nominating 10 friends who then pass it on.

On Thursday, 200 people in Boston took it at once.

A few days before that the Boston Police Department all accepted the challenge.

As well as the mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh.

View this post on Facebook

It's still huge in Massachusetts, but thanks to huge chunks of Facebook tagging each other, it's now happening all over the country.

View this post on Facebook

The way it connects with ALS research is that if you nominate someone and they don't accept the challenge they have to donate $100 to an ALS charity.

My little sister, living in Boston, nominated me, so I decided to take it on behalf of BuzzFeed. And we're nominating the rest of the internet!

(Sorry about my gross stomach...)

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