According to Forbes, The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has raised $100 million in only one month. This made it one of the most successful fundraising campaign of 2014. Some credit the start to Pete Frates, a former Boston College baseball player. After being diagnosed with ALS in 2011, Frates wanted to raise awareness, so he challenged some of his friends and celebrities, including NFL quarterbacks Tom Brandy and Matt Ryan, to take the Ice Bucket Challenge. Many view Frates as the person who inspired the whole movement.

  However, others claim that Chris Kennedy, a golfer on the minor league West Florida Tour, was the first to do the challenge on July 14. His challenge was focused on raising funds for ALS research. Regardless who did it first or created this campaign, one thing is for sure, it touches many people around the world and brings people together.

  Thousands of Americans from different backgrounds have been taking the challenge; it includes billionaires like Bill Gates and Marc Zuckerberg of Facebook, to different athletes like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Many Hollywood actors and actress follow the path to bring more awareness about ALS, while encouraging people to donate to the cause. What make the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge so different from the other campaigns we have seen in the past?

  Probably the process of bringing people from different backgrounds together: rich and poor; black and white; teachers and students; and athletes and movie stars. This spirit has always made this country one of the greatest countries in the world.

With over 3 million donors, and $100.9 million raised as of Aug. 29, long time contributor to Forbes Magazine, Jon Fortenbury, views the Ice Bucket Challenge not only as a campaign that is changing the health care fundraising for the long haul, but also see such challenges as a great tool to bring people together.  

  Bravelets chief operating officer, Elisabeth Nakielny is convinced that challenges like the Ice Bucket Challenge have great potential to reach people globally. It can’t be known how long people will keep doing the ALS Ice Bucket challenge, or when there will be a similar challenge that can unite people in the same spirit, but one thing is evident, people are willing to join a movements, where they can have fun while making a difference.