National total for ALS Ice Bucket Challenge tops $109 million


By William K. Alcorn

alcorn@vindy.com

CLEVELAND

The Ice Bucket Challenge, the Internet phenomenon which went viral and had raised about $109 million as of Friday for the ALS Foundation, also is pushing donations from ALS walks off the charts before they even happen.

“Our chapter has already surpassed last year’s record-setting $519,000, and we continue to collect funds until December,” said Mary Wilson Wheelock, executive director of the ALS Association of Northern Ohio Chapter, which represents Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The first Northern Ohio Chapter event, the Akron Walk to Defeat ALS, is Sunday. The Youngstown walk is set for Sept. 28 at Eastwood Field in Niles.

The ALS Association Northern Ohio Chapter is gearing up for a record-breaking year for its four walk events, Wheelock said.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects about 30,000 people in the United States and an estimated 400 individuals in the Northern Ohio region. ALS has no known cause, effective treatment or cure.

The Ice Bucket Challenge, begun July 29, has literally changed the landscape for ALS awareness in about six weeks, said Wheelock, crediting it for pushing record donations for local walks before they occur.

“People are incredibly generous, not only with their Ice Bucket Challenges, but also their participation and support of the Walk to Defeat ALS,” she added.

Across its four walks in Akron, Cleveland, Youngstown and Toledo, the Northern Ohio Chapter already has 314 teams registered and 3,750 participants. It finished 2013 with 259 teams and 3,876 walkers. Traditionally, it sees the biggest jump in fundraising and participant registrations in the first three weeks of September.

Wheelock said the Northern Ohio Chapter is at $537,000 of its $550,000 donations goal for this year.

She said 86 percent of the revenue from walks stays with the local chapter to support local programs and services; 60 percent of the Northern Ohio Chapter’s budget comes from the walks, 25 percent from an annual gala and the rest from various donations.

Wheelock, who is on the national ALS committee that is deciding how to allocate the unprecedented amount of money coming in from the Ice Bucket Challenges, said there should be a decision in the near future.

But, she said, “We want to make a thoughtful decision.”

By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.

» Accept
» Learn More