The 'Ice Bucket Challenge' is back, but with a new cause
The challenge - where people post video of themselves throwing buckets of iced water over their heads - first appeared in 2014, to raise money for the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS.
Now, a student-run initiative called MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) in the United States, has resurrected the trend.
The group launched the 'Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge' to raise money for Active Minds, a non-profit organisation dedicated to changing the stigma around mental health in young people and adults.
MIND, which launched the campaign via a social media post in March, originally hoped to raise a few hundred US dollars. However, after the fund reached more than $175,000, Active Minds set a new target of $250,000.
Now, the challenge has spread beyond America, with UK social media users also taking part.
In a statement posted on Active Mind's website, Wade Jefferson, a sophomore and founder said the campaign had been 'surreal.'
He wrote: 'We're proud, grateful and just excited to see how far it's gone and (will) continue to go.'
The challenge has spread across the water, with UK social media users also taking part
Back in 2014 hundreds of celebrities including A-listers, Taylor Swift, Victoria Beckham, Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey took on the challenge.
The campaign was a staggering success, raising $115 million in donations in just six weeks, and $220 million overall.
Victoria Beckhams 'Ice Bucket Challenge' 2014
This time round celebrities including NFL players, Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders and Jordon Norwood have taken part. Internet stars James Charles and Haley Kalil have also got involved.
The ALS Association praised MIND's efforts, publishing a statement on their website saying they were "thrilled to see the spirit of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge live on in new forms of activism."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Travis Kelce gushes over Taylor Swift with rare public statement about his superstar girlfriend
A smitten Travis Kelce described girlfriend Taylor Swift as a '20/20' in a rare public comment about the songstress this week. Kelce recently went Instagram official with Swift almost two years into their whirlwind relationship, with the Kansas City Chiefs legend sharing a photo dump of their 'offseason adventures' together. One of the pictures shows the loved-up couple posing in snowy conditions alongside NFL reporters Charissa Thompson and Erin Andrews, as well as their respective partners, while seemingly on a group trip. Thompson and Andrews opened up on their time with Kelce and Swift earlier this week, calling the pop megastar a '20/20' after insisting she was a 'dream' to meet on the latest episode of their 'Calm Down' podcast. And on an Instagram post which shows the pair gushing over Taylor on the podcast, Travis couldn't resist taking to the comments section to agree with their rating of his girlfriend. He wrote: 'she's a 20/20!! Some of the best memories of the offseason. Jimmy's forever!!!' Thompson and Andrews explained how they were big Swift fans before her romance with Kelce, and that they were rooting for her to give the Chiefs star a chance when rumors of a potential romance first emerged in 2023. And after getting the chance to meet her in the offseason, she did not disappoint. Thompson said: 'I will say this: she's everything that I'd ever hoped and dreamed that she could've been and more. 'For those of you who have listened to this podcast for the five years that we have had it, you'll know our great affinity for Taylor, pre-Travis. We advocated for her to give him a chance - that clearly worked out! They are so happy and adorable. 'So when the opportunity came about for all of us to spend time together and go on vacation, we were elated to have time with them. But also, in general, to see what she was all about. 'I'm not going to elaborate too much on it other than saying that she is a dream and I adore her and I'm so happy that they make each other happy.' Andrews chimed in and said: 'We're so protective of them and their privacy and what they deserve, so that's why we never said anything or planned on saying anything. 'That's one of my favorite photos from the trip that we all took together. And I'll echo it! She's a 20 out of 20. She is so much fun. 'We love them, we are happy for them and we are happy to report back that, yes, the long awaited meeting did happen and it exceeded expectations because she is as advertised and a whole lot more'. Kelce and Swift, who have dominated headlines since they went public with their relationship in September 2023, looked smitten in a number of the snaps he posted in his Instagram dump. They are first seen posing together in a warm setting, with other pictures showing them out for dinner, clowning around in the snow and skating on an ice rink. The pair enjoyed a more low-key offseason together than last year, only making a handful of public appearances since the Chiefs' Super Bowl defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in February. The most noteworthy of the lot came when Taylor made a surprise cameo at her man's 'Tight End University' event in Nashville last month, where she took to the stage and performed her famous 'Shake It Off' song.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Travis Kelce stuns NFL fans with telling transformation that hints retirement could be closer than ever
NFL fans have been left stunned by Travis Kelce 's brand new look which he debuted at the Chiefs training camp this week. In recent months, there had been plenty of discussion as to whether the tight end would be hanging up his cleats following the loss in the Super Bowl back in February. However, to the joy of Chiefs fans, it was later confirmed that the 35-year-old would return for a 13th season in the NFL. After an offseason spent galivanting with girlfriend Taylor Swift, Kelce has now joined up with his teammates for the Chiefs training camp, ahead of the new season. To the surprise of many, however, Kelce has rocked up to camp without his traditional long locks and, instead, has been sporting a fade. However, some fans were quick to note the 'gray hairs' on Kelce and, once again, sparked suggestions that the tight end could soon call time on his career. Kelce has ditched his long locks for a fade as he steps up preparations for the new season Taking to X, one fan wrote: 'Travis gray hair kelce [laughing emoji] he really is getting old'. Another said: 'The long hair was doing heavy lifting to hide them greys, he's reached unc status'. However, there were a few fans who jumped to the defense of the Chiefs tight end. 'Yall just be saying anything, it's very clear that his scalp it just very light and the rest of his skin is very tan, that's what happens when you just get a fade,' one user said. Another wrote: 'Tell me that all of your friends are under 25 without telling me.' Recently, one anonymous NFL scout delivered a brutal verdict on whether Kelce will be able to get back to his best during the 2025 season. In a report by ESPN, Kelce was ranked as the fifth-best tight end in the NFL, as they prepare to head into the new season. The scout claimed that Kelce has shown 'signs of physical decline' but did admit that 'you still have to worry about him' because he's 'such a smart player'. However, they ended by claiming that Kelce 'doesn't get open like he used to' and pointed to signs that the Chiefs star 'played heavier last year'. Social media users pointed out that Kelce's new look exposed some gray hairs However, some fans hit back and played down the suggestions that Kelce looked 'old' Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta, George Kittle and Brock Bowers were all listed ahead of the Chiefs star in the tight end rankings. The tight end teased the possibility of ending his career following the loss in the Super Bowl and admitted the grind of NFL life had driven him 'crazy' last season. To the joy of Chiefs fans, it was later confirmed that the 35-year-old would return for a 13th season however he did reveal that he would consider the 2026 season later 'down the road'. Kelce signed a two-year, $34.25million contract - with $17m guaranteed - back in April 2024.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Ginger-haired pop megastar Ed Sheeran 'caused earthquake' after thousands of fans jumped to hit songs at packed concert
FANS of Ed Sheeran made the earth move at a recent gig — causing an earthquake as they jumped around to hit song Shape of You. Specialist equipment near the stadium in Norway registered increased seismic activity. 2 2 Ed encouraged thousands of fans at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo to jump up and down in time to the beat as he bashed out hits last weekend. And scientists at the Norsar foundation — set up to detect earthquakes and nuclear explosions — noticed a clear increase in energy frequency of around two to three hertz, A source said yesterday: 'When tens of thousands of people move in synchrony in this way, the vibrations propagate through the ground and are registered as small but clear signals by seismometers. 'When about 40,000 fans jump at the same time, even an earthquake station can't help but dance a little.' It's not the first time Sheeran, 34, has caused earth tremors at a concert. In August 2023 fans were so excited when he brought local rapper Macklemore on stage at Lumen Field in Seattle they caused a minor earthquake. A month earlier energetic dancing by Taylor Swift fans at the same US venue registered seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3-magnitude earthquake. At the time Prof Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, a geology professor at Western Washington University said: 'Ed Sheeran is not someone who I associate with rampant crazy crowd behaviour, 'However, he did bring Macklemore onstage. So here you have a local artist playing Can't Hold Us, which is a very jumpy song and a very high energy song, and the crowd responded appropriately, and it's definitively the strongest shaking we saw.' Sheeran is one of the most successful singers of his generation and the third most followed artist globally on streaming platform Spotify. His 2017 hit Shape of You has been streamed 4.5billion times. Perfect, from the same year, has 3.5billion streams and 2014's Photograph just over three billion.
