By JESSE GRAHAM
A HEALESVILLE woman is putting the call out to Yarra Valley residents to take part in a worldwide phenomenon and raise money for an incurable condition.
The Ice Bucket Challenge has been sweeping the internet in recent weeks, with celebrities and people having buckets of ice poured over their heads and challenging others to do the same.
In the Yarra Valley in the middle of winter, this is a feat in itself, but the icy challenge also aims to raise awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The condition is in the family of motor neurone disease and is fatal.
Healesville’s Lorraine Martin contacted the Mail after hearing about the challenge and said she would like to organise an event in the town to raise awareness and donations for the disease.
Ms Martin said her brother and her cousin both died recently after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease and that there is no cure and little treatment for the disease.
“It’s a terrible disease, and you don’t now until you know someone affected by it,” she said.
From Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Justin Timberlake, celebrities around the world have either taken part in the challenge, or avoided an icy shower by donating $100 to ASL research.
Ms Martin said the challenge was a positive force for raising awareness of the disease – which she personally knew little about until it effected her family – and that she wanted to help generate positive action.
She said she would be interested in organising a large-scale event in the town if any businesses or residents would be interested in coming on board.
Her idea is already generating movement with $200 in donations given and one of her friends – Healesville’s Simone King – taking on the challenge.
Despite the temperature sitting at about 13 degrees, she said the challenge was “refreshing”.
For anyone taking on the challenge alone, Ms Martin encouraged participants to promote organisations such as Motor Neurone Disease Australia, to donate after taking part, and to get others to do the same.
For more information on motor neurone disease or to donate visit www.mndaust.asn.au.
To get in contact with Ms Martin about organising an Ice Bucket Challenge event, call 0400 840 246.
