Ice Bucket Challenge returning soon

Time will tell if this year’s efforts match or surpass the first Ice Bucket Challenge, but don’t be surprised to see your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds flooded with videos of your friends and family dousing themselves in ice water. For unknown reasons, veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS as the general population.

Tomorrow, Friday, July 31, MLB, the Boston Red Sox and representatives of several ALS organizations including The ALS Association join co-founders Pete Frates and Pat Quinn at Fenway Park in Boston to launch this year’s global social media effort to raise awareness and funds to put an end to this cruel disease.

Frates, who played baseball at Boston College, was honored at Fenway on Opening Day this year when the team signed him to a symbolic contract. Throughout the month, each Club from the San Francisco Giants to the Florida Marlins will take the challenge and challenge another franchise, along with two local personalities or organizations. Major League Baseball is also encouraging fans to consider donating to support the ALS community at ALSIceBucketChallenge.org.

The ALS Society of Quebec says it plans to revive the challenge every August until a cure for the disease is found, but it wants to emphasize the giving aspect.

The popular Ice Bucket Challenge is returning this year.

ALS Association staff say it’s a good thing so many of us took the challenge last year, because someone is diagnosed with the disease every 90 seconds. While many people posted their videos, not everyone donated.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world’s leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to saving and improving the lives of people with muscle disease, including muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases.