Unprecedented Generosity Continues from Ice Bucket Challenge Participants

Washington, D.C. (August 14, 2014) — As of Thursday, August 14, The ALS Association has received $7.6 million in donations compared to $1.4 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to August 14). These donations have come from existing donors and 145,918 new donors to The Association.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. There is no cure and only one drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that modestly extends survival.

“The ALS Association is thankful for the incredible generosity and spirit of the thousands of people who have accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge,” said Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO of The Association. “These dollars will make a difference in propelling The Association’s three-prong mission.”

The ALS Association’s mission includes providing care services to assist people with ALS and their families through a network of chapters working in communities across the nation, and a global research program focused on the discovery of treatments and eventually a cure for the disease. In addition, The Association’s public policy efforts empower people to advance public policies in our nation’s Capital that respond to the needs of people with ALS.

“We are grateful to the several families in New York and Boston who reenergized the Ice Bucket Challenge around ALS—moving the viral campaign forward.”