Charlestown Residents do Ice Bucket Challenge

Sixteen men and women who live at Charlestown retirement community dumped buckets of ice water on their heads (see attached photo by Mel Tansill) to raise awareness for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. They did this to join a viral movement called the “Ice Bucket Challenge.” Please Note: They were the first group of residents of a retirement community to participate in this worldwide viral movement, and they urged continuing care retirement communities worldwide to join them.

The Charlestown residents posted their ice bucket video to social media and issued a challenge to “all continuing care retirement community residents and staff” to take the plunge and keep the cycle going. If those challenged don’t accept within 24 hours, they will be asked to donate to ALS research, or to the charity of their choice.

The challenge started in Massachusetts with former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2012. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness, loss of the use of arms and legs and difficulty speaking, breathing and swallowing.