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Library/Activity/ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
Grade B15 sourcesHIS-01000

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Activity · 2014 · Niche

30Editable slideCertificate

The ALS Association received $100 million during the 2014 challenge’s first wave.

Doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
slgckgc / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson, leads some 200 people in the ice bucket challenge at Boston's Copley Square, Aug. 7, 2014 to raise funds and awareness for ALS.
TIME
Ice Bucket Challenge
Bill Gates
This Is How Many Ice Bucket Challenge Videos People Have Posted on Facebook
TIME
Remember the ice bucket challenge? It just funded an ALS breakthrough
The Guardian

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagionNo data yetBreadth30Velocity31LongevityNo data yet30

Numbers

ALS Association donations
>$100M
Since Jul 29 · Reported Aug 29, 2014 · Self-reported · TIME
Peak date
Week of Aug 20, 2014
Jul 15 ’14 to Week of Aug 20, 2014
Platforms
5
Started on Facebook
Origin
Organic
Politics & civic

Mechanics

  • ChallengePrimary
  • Response chain
  • Platform jump
  • Political adoption
  • Press loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

An existing ice-water challenge became linked to ALS through personal networks. Named nominations connected families, athletes and public figures. Participation spread across social platforms while charities reported increased donations.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Jun ’14AugSepDecJun ’15NovMay ’16NovSep ’17Jul ’18May ’19FacebookPressOpen webXYouTube
FacebookPressOpen webXYouTube

10 more events on this chart

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Timeline (13)

  1. July 2014

    Chris Kennedy seed · Jul 15 ’14

    Chris Kennedy posted an ice-bucket challenge linked to ALS and nominated Jeanette Senerchia.[1][14]

    Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson, leads some 200 people in the ice bucket challenge at Boston's Copley Square, Aug. 7, 2014 to raise funds and awareness for ALS.
    Open the first post ↗

  2. Pete Frates platform jump · Jul 31 ’14

    Pete Frates posted a challenge to his Facebook network using ALS-related hashtags.[1][14]

  3. August 2014

    Jacob Davidson backlash · Aug 13 ’14

    A TIME commentary questioned whether challenge videos adequately explained ALS.[2]

Changelogupdated Oct 16 ’26
  1. 2026-10-16Added 1 event · Revised 2 events · Added 2 sources · Added 1 number
  2. 2026-10-15Added: 11 events, 12 sources · Score 30
Origin
Organic
Sector
Politics & civic
Region
US
ALS Association donations
>$100M
Since Jul 29 · Reported Aug 29, 2014 · Self-reported · TIME
Evidence
Grade B

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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Jun ’14AugSepDecJun ’15NovMay ’16NovSep ’17Jul ’18May ’19FacebookPressOpen webXYouTube
FacebookPressOpen webXYouTube

10 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. July 2014

    Chris Kennedy seed · Jul 15 ’14

    Chris Kennedy posted an ice-bucket challenge linked to ALS and nominated Jeanette Senerchia.[1][14]

    Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson, leads some 200 people in the ice bucket challenge at Boston's Copley Square, Aug. 7, 2014 to raise funds and awareness for ALS.
    Open the first post ↗

  2. Pete Frates platform jump · Jul 31 ’14

    Pete Frates posted a challenge to his Facebook network using ALS-related hashtags.[1][14]

  3. August 2014

    Jacob Davidson backlash · Aug 13 ’14

    A TIME commentary questioned whether challenge videos adequately explained ALS.[2]

  1. platform jump · Aug 15 ’14

  2. press · Aug 18 ’14

Join free to see the other 10 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

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