We weren’t joking when we said the #ALSIceBucketChallenge has taken the world by storm because the Korean entertainment industry has now been bitten big time by the shivering ice bucket challenge bug!
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) aka Lou Gehrig’s disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks the brain and the spinal cord. The disease is named after the former professional baseball player Lou Gherig who died at the age of 37 due to the ALS in 1941. Theoretical physics and cosmology professor-author Stephen Hawking and musician Jason Becker are some of the people who was diagnosed with the Lou Gehrig’s disease as well.
There is no cure for the ALS yet and guess what? ALS can strike just about anyone in the world and the chances of survival are inconsistent: 20% of people with ALS live 5 years or more and up to 10% will survive more than 10 years and 5% will live 20 years. Not many people were aware of the disease until former Boston College Baseball player, Pete Frates who has battling ALS since 2011, started the #ALSIceBucketChallenge with the ALS Association.
Since then, the campaign has gone viral as Facebook’s very own Mark Zuckerberg, some well-known celebrities and the members of the Marvel & DC Cinematic Universe have accepted ice bucket challenge to spread awareness about disease and raise money for the ALS Association. To date, the ALS Association has received over 31.5 million dollars in donations.
The challenge has now been passed on to the Korean celebrities and most of the donations has been made to Seungil Hope Foundation, a foundation founded by former basketball coach Park Seungil, who is a Lou Gehrig’s disease patient. Those who fail to do the challenge within 24 hours will need to make a donation of USD100 to the ALS Association. With that being said, check out some of the best #ALSIceBucketChallenge by Korean celebrities here!
1. Yoo Jae Suk
Nominated: Jung Joonha, Kim Jaedong, and Park Myungsoo.
2. Jo In Sung
Nominated: Lee Kwangsoo, baseball player Jo Insung, and actor Lim Juhwan.
3. f(x)’s Amber
Nominated: Eric Nam, Simon & Martina, miss A’s Min, Jackie Liu, @soyuri.
4. Lee Kwang Soo
Nominated: Lee Sang Hwa, Yoo Yun Suk, and Kim Jong Kook.
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5. EXO’s Suho
Nominated: EXO’s Sehun, BoA, and Byun Yohan.
6. Eric Nam
Nominated: f(x)’s Amber, Jenn Im, BTOB’s Peniel, U-KISS’ Kevin, Royal Pirates’ James, and Ailee.
7. Super Junior’s Siwon, Heechul, Donghae, & Eunhyuk
Nominated: Leeteuk, Shindong, Heechul, and Seung Il.
8. EXO’s Sehun
Nominated: SNSD Girls’ Generation’s Yoona, EXO’s Baekhyun.
9. Choi Ji Woo (of “Winter Sonata” fame)
Nominated:Yoon Seok Ho, Lee Byung Hun, and Lee Yeon Hee.
Meanwhile, BIGBANG’s leader G-Dragon celebrated his 26th birthday by donating 81.8 million won to Seungil Hope Foundation to build a nursing home for Lou Gehrig’s disease patients.
Previously, G-Dragon donated 50 million won to Seoul National University’s Children Hospital in 2011 in celebration of his birthday. It was reported that other artists from YG Entertainment has been making donation to Seungil Hope Foundation on regular basis as well. Here’s the list of Korean celebrities who have accepted and completed the #ALSIceBucketChallenge:
- Huh Gak
- G-Dragon (Part 1), G-Dragon (Part 2)
- B2ST’s Doojoon
- B2ST’s Kikwang
- Park Han Byul
- Jinusean
- Apink’s Eunji
- BtoB’s Eunkwang
- WINNER’s Kang Seungyoon
- CNBLUE’s Jung Yonghwa
- Tablo
For more information, check out ALS Association’s official website to find out how you too can get involved!
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