I refer, of course, to The Ice Bucket Challenge which is flooding across the facebook world as a means of raising money for charity and encouraging us to donate to a charity.
I am sure that you have seen pictures of celebrities who have been persuaded to take part as well as many of your friends and family. If you are on a social networking site you will have come across videos of people being soaked by ice cold water and gasping in shock as others look on laughing and then nominating several others to have the same ignominious fate.
As an older member of society I am fervently hoping that I do not get nominated as I do have reasons why I shall decline but do not want be seen as not supporting what appears to be a valid charity. So first questions:-
Is this for a specific charity as it appears to have started in USA to raise funds for ALS which is know in UK as MND the acronym for Motor Neurone Disease which is a terrible life destroying illness? It also appears that the fund raising has also been hijacked by the Macmillan Cancer Research which is also a worthy cause. Does this mean that any charity can claim the benefit of such a craze?
Should we be pressured into taking part if we have underlying medical conditions? Those suffering with problems of immune system, heart disease or other illnesses where to be soaked with ice cold water may compromise their health. Does it sound sensible to be able to say no or just to make a donation? I am of the opinion that we should have a choice in where we give our money and dislike being pressured into choosing a particular charity.
Which raises another question “is this cyber bullying”? Is it ethical to use one of the world’s precious resources i.e. water to increase awareness of a medical disease when more people die from lack of water than of the disease itself. I should prefer to make a donation to Water Aid than be drenched more for others amusement than in saving a life.
So at the risk of sounding like a killjoy or a spoil sport when it comes to The Ice Bucket Challenge – count me out!
