YSU president, deans take ALS bucket challenge this afternoon

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel says he had seemingly hundreds of requests over the past month to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

It wasn’t until YSU’s Scholars and Honors Program students challenged him two weeks ago that he said the time was right.

“I was challenged by a lot of people by text and email, but I wanted to do it with the students,” Tressel said. He added that he could use the challenge as a “kickoff” to the first YSU home football game this weekend. The Penguins play host to Duquesne today at 4 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.

Dozens of students, faculty, staff, administration and community members watched Tressel and seven deans and directors of colleges take the challenge during a pep rally Friday outside Kilcawley Center. Tressel squeezed his eyes shut as the ice water hit. He slowly stood up to greet people from the crowd afterward.

Crowds gathered at Kilcawley Center at 1 p.m. to watch the challenge.

Nicole Krejci, development manager for the Northern Ohio Chapter of the ALS Association, spoke about the purpose of the charity.

“The challenge has done amazing things for our group,” she said. “We have not seen this kind of awareness since Lou Gehrig became our most-famous patient.”

Krejci invited spectators to come to the ALS Association walk Sept. 28 at Eastwood Field in Niles.

Read more about the event in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.