Ice Bucket Challenge

Dump water on your head. Save lives. That was the deal.

On June 22, 2014, professional motocross racer Jeremy McGrath posted a video to Instagram of himself getting doused with ice water. The Ice Bucket Challenge was born—though it didn't know yet what it would become.

By late July, the challenge had found its purpose: raising awareness and money for ALS, a devastating neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Pat Quinn, a 31-year-old ALS ambassador, established the formal rules: dump ice water on your head, donate to ALS research, and nominate others to do the same within 24 hours. Refuse the challenge and you owed $100.

The internet, for once, did something beautiful.

Between July 29 and August 20, 2014, the ALS Association received over $31.5 million—compared to $1.9 million during the same period the previous year. By summer's end, approximately $100 million had been raised. Bill Gates built a machine to dump water on himself. Mark Zuckerberg got drenched. Former presidents, pop stars, athletes, and your weird uncle all participated. It was the rare moment when viral culture translated directly into tangible good.

The money mattered. By 2015, ALS research funded by Ice Bucket donations had contributed to a significant paper published in Science. Real progress was made because people dumped cold water on their heads.

But viral challenges have a shelf life. By October 2014, posting an Ice Bucket video felt dated. The format lived on in worse challenges (Tide Pods, Cinnamon Challenge), but the original's magic couldn't be recaptured.

For one brief, beautiful summer, the internet was united, wet, and generous. We dumped ice water on ourselves and actually helped people.

That's worth remembering.