Got ice? This summer everyone seems to have hopped on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge bandwagon, including principal Alan Goodwin and assistant principal Kathy McHale.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raises awareness and money for research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It eventually leads to the degeneration of motor neurons and the loss of the brain’s ability to control muscles, sometimes resulting in paralysis.
ALS affects as many as 30,000 Americans between the ages of 40 and 70 at one time. Some famous Americans who died of ALS include the creator of Sesame Street Jon Stone, former Vice President Henry A. Wallace, and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Hunter.
As of this Wednesday, the ALS Association has received $94.3 million this summer, as opposed to the $2.7 million donated the previous summer. The donations have come in from around 2.1 million new donors thanks to the awareness raised from the challenge.
Yesterday, Goodwin and McHale willingingly got soaked for the cause, completing the challenge after school in the courtyard with the help of two students.
Goodwin said he did the challenge because he loves that it helps raise money for ALS in addition to increasing awareness about the disease.
The duo had been nominated by senior Jonny Rasch, the Whitman cluster Principals, and the administration at Quince Orchard. Goodwin and McHale then nominated math teacher Stephen Hays, math teacher Tyler Wilkinson, photography teacher Michael Seymour, and special education teacher John Floyd.
“I nominated Dr. Goodwin, because how funny would it be to see our principal get ice water dumped on him?” Rasch said.
Goodwin and McHale made a short speech before their challenge with a mention of former English teacher Lauren de Rivaud, who passed away Aug. 12, 2013 at age 52 from ALS.
“She was a really fun loving person, and she would have liked this,” Goodwin said.
Click here to see Goodwin’s ice bucket challenge.
