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Brace yourselves! It may not be summer yet but the ice bucket challenge is back
The Guardian
|April 26, 2025
When the ice bucket challenge became a viral sensation a decade ago, politicians, sports stars and actors filled social media with videos of cold water and ice cubes being dumped over their heads.
The stunts were often notable for the casual, conspicuous luxury of the backgrounds: LeBron James's sodden discomfort was offset by the superyacht on which the basketball player performed his icy endeavours.
The fashion designer Donatella Versace let out her unscripted yowl in a glorious garden with equally gorgeous and muscled men in attendance. Donald Trump predictably chose the top of Trump Tower in New York for his challenge.
The singer Rita Ora got a soaking in the same city while the jockey Frankie Dettori and TV host Clare Balding underwent the challenge in York. Raising funds and global awareness for motor neurone disease, or ALS as it is known in the US, the craze caught on with everyone from children to grandparents.
The challenge involved pouring a bucket of ice-cold water over your head, posting the video on social media and nominating someone else to complete the challenge or donate to charity, or both. Over 17 million people took part around the world.
It raised an estimated £165m for charities fighting to find a cure for motor neurone disease (MND), which attacks the motor nerves causing muscle weakness and wasting.
This story is from the April 26, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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