Latest news with #SpeakYourMindIceBucketChallenge
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Connecticut Universities take part in ‘Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge'
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) —The ice bucket challenge is making a comeback, and it has some local universities challenging each other to take the plunge. This time, it is all about mental health, especially among young people. 'Mental health, I think, has certainly become something more folks are talking about, they're open about,' said Dr. Nick Pinkerton, associate dean of counseling services and wellness at Southern Connecticut State University. Southern's mascot, Otus the Owl, recently did the Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge. Nyberg: Ice Bucket Challenge is back to raise awareness for mental health The challenge started at USC as a way to change how mental health is viewed and to prioritize it, especially on college campuses, where Pinkerton says the top issues are anxiety, depression and loneliness. 'But loneliness is interesting because a lot of the college students, they don't necessarily come in saying, 'I feel lonely,'' Pinkerton explained. They say, 'I feel depressed' or 'I feel anxious,' but right underneath that is a deep well of loneliness, social avoidance.' On social media, the folks getting drenched still get to challenge others. Southern's video challenged the University of New Haven, UConn, and Quinnipiac University, which led Dr. Jens Frederiksen, the president of the University of New Haven, to do make his own challenge video, and then later to talk about the issues he sees. 'There's feelings of isolation, anxiety, all sorts of stress, and the world is a complicated place,' Frederiksen said. 1 in 5 adults live with mental illness, here are the resources to help Connecticut residents On a big college campus, it can easy to feel alone, but the point of this challenge is that students are not. If they are experiencing any kind of mental health issue, there is a whole team ready to help. 'You've got to meet students where they are and you can't conflate, you can't push it upon them, and yet you've got to make it comfortable for them to want to reach out,' Frederiksen said. He is now challenging his university vice presidents, the Allingtown Fire Department, and West Haven's Mayor. For more information on the challenge and how you can help, go to: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ITV News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
The 'Ice Bucket Challenge' is back, but with a new cause
The 'Ice Bucket Challenge' is back - but this time the internet craze is being used to raise funds for mental health awareness. The challenge - where people post video of themselves throwing buckets of iced water over their heads - first appeared in 2014, to raise money for the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS. Now, a student-run initiative called MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) in the United States, has resurrected the trend. The group launched the 'Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge' to raise money for Active Minds, a non-profit organisation dedicated to changing the stigma around mental health in young people and adults. MIND, which launched the campaign via a social media post in March, originally hoped to raise a few hundred US dollars. However, after the fund reached more than $175,000, Active Minds set a new target of $250,000. Now, the challenge has spread beyond America, with UK social media users also taking part. In a statement posted on Active Mind's website, Wade Jefferson, a sophomore and founder said the campaign had been 'surreal.' He wrote: 'We're proud, grateful and just excited to see how far it's gone and (will) continue to go.' The challenge has spread across the water, with UK social media users also taking part Back in 2014 hundreds of celebrities including A-listers, Taylor Swift, Victoria Beckham, Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey took on the challenge. The campaign was a staggering success, raising $115 million in donations in just six weeks, and $220 million overall. Victoria Beckhams 'Ice Bucket Challenge' 2014 This time round celebrities including NFL players, Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders and Jordon Norwood have taken part. Internet stars James Charles and Haley Kalil have also got involved. The ALS Association praised MIND's efforts, publishing a statement on their website saying they were "thrilled to see the spirit of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge live on in new forms of activism."
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The ice bucket challenge returns! How and why to get involved in the viral trend
ROCHESTER, N.Y (WROC, WJW) — Remember opening Instagram in 2014 and hoping you had been nominated for the ice bucket challenge? Well, now there's another chance for a tag! The viral trend has returned to social media, with friends nominating each other to pour a bucket of ice water over the head, all to raise awareness for diseases. In 2014, the trend focused on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing progressive loss of muscle control, according to the Mayo Clinic. In the summer of 2014, three men who were living with ALS started the global phenomenon of the Ice Bucket Challenge. As part of the trend, over 17 million people dumped ice cold water over their head, or otherwise soaked themselves with cold water, and challenged their friends to do the same. Ultimately, more than $115 million was raised, according to the ALS Association. The Ice Bucket Challenge not only brought more attention to ALS but helped to revolutionize research surrounding the condition, experts told Nexstar's KXAN last summer. Now, organizers hope to gain that kind of interest with a new Ice Bucket Challenge. It's back this time with a focus on mental health. In Rochester, experts say it's important now more than ever to raise awareness. 'One of the things we know about behavioral health struggles is that there is still an under recognition of them in the first place,' President and CEO of Villa of Hope Carrie Carl spoke with News 8 Wednesday on the topic. 'Secondary to the pandemic, you know, the COVID 19, the physical medical pandemic, we are now in a second wave pandemic, a behavioral health pandemic, where, you know, almost two years of being forced to live in ways that were far less connected than the way people are actually used to and thrive in. We're now seeing the aftereffects of that.' Carl said raising awareness of mental health challenges can only accomplish great things. 'Normalizing those challenges, recognizing the signs and symptoms, helping people understand where to go to get some consultation and some help to be able to access services, to understand all the different kinds of services that there are for providing care and treatment for mental health challenges,' Carl said. 'This can only help people move toward a healthier state of mind as well as body coming out of all the stressors that we faced in recent years.' A University of South Carolina student-run organization called MIND, which stands for Mental Illness Needs Discussion, launched the 'Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge' at the end of March. Participants are encouraged to donate to Active Minds. News 8 asked Carl how programs in place for mental health could expand with the funds and awareness raised. 'Most services, and I mean, arguably all services in behavioral health are nonprofit, and the way that funding structures work in in these kinds of services is your best day as a provider is a break-even day. But in many cases, your real day is creating deficit and so being able to first of all build sustainability for providers who have been struggling in, you know, deficit, chronic deficit conditions, while we're trying to provide services regardless of ability to pay. Now you're really talking about improved access,' Carl said. All in all — Carl said we all know and care about someone who struggles with a mental health or behavioral health challenge and says any chance to help them is one worth taking. 'It might be our neighbor, it might be our family member, it might be a coworker, and it might be the person we look at in the mirror in the morning,' Carl said. 'The overall goal as a community should be to recognize when someone's struggling and help them access the supports that they need and deserve to live as happy and productive a life as they can imagine for themselves. So, funds from this kind of initiative to the degree that they can support that overarching shared mission are a beautiful gift.' As of Wednesday, more than $290,000 had been raised for Active Minds as part of the latest Ice Bucket Challenge, surpassing the group's listed goal of $250,000. Posts tagged with #icebucketchallenge are already piling up on social media, though some, like content creator Glozell, opted to repost their original Ice Bucket Challenge videos. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Arab Times
22-04-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
The Ice Bucket Challenge returns — but this time for mental health awareness
NEW YORK, April 22: This spring, social media is once again filled with videos of people dumping buckets of icy water over their heads. The famous Ice Bucket Challenge has made a comeback — and while it may appear similar to the viral phenomenon of 2014, this time it's being revived for a new cause: mental health awareness. For those who might not recall the original challenge, the Ice Bucket Challenge became an online sensation more than a decade ago. Participants would fill a bucket with ice water, record themselves getting soaked, and then nominate others to do the same. The original idea was to either take the challenge or donate to a charitable cause — though many chose to do both. While the challenge may have started as a fundraising effort by professional golfers for pet-related charities, according to the Wall Street Journal, its widespread popularity came in 2014 when it became associated with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research. That shift was largely thanks to Pete Frates, a former college baseball player diagnosed with ALS in 2012, whose family and community used the challenge to raise awareness and funds. The campaign raised over $115 million for ALS research and drew participation from celebrities like Justin Bieber and Oprah Winfrey. In total, more than 17 million people took part. Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge in support of ALS, but now the challenge is seeing new life with a different mission. At the end of March, a student-led organization at the University of South Carolina called MIND — short for Mental Illness Needs Discussion — launched the "Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge" to support mental health awareness. Participants are encouraged to donate to Active Minds, a nonprofit that works to change the conversation around mental health among young people. In a statement on the Active Minds website, Wade Jefferson, a sophomore at USC and founder of the MIND club, expressed his amazement at how far the campaign has reached. 'We're proud, grateful, and just excited to see how far it's gone and how far it will continue to go,' he said. Although this new version of the challenge hasn't yet reached the viral heights of the 2014 ALS campaign, it is gaining traction on social media, with influencers like James Charles and Haley Kalil participating. According to Jefferson, even former NFL star Peyton Manning joined in — though the video has not been made publicly available. For some social media users, the return of the Ice Bucket Challenge brings nostalgia — and a reminder of how Gen Z is reviving and reimagining millennial trends. But not everyone is on board with the new version. Some critics argue that disconnecting the challenge from ALS feels inappropriate, especially given that the disease still lacks a cure. TikToker Chrissy, who has a family member currently living with ALS, said in a video, 'This just doesn't rub me the right way.' Another user, Lily, commented that the new challenge isn't as impactful because awareness around mental health is already widespread. 'We should bring back the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge,' she said, sharing her grandfather's experience battling ALS. 'He didn't make it, as ALS is a death sentence.' Others worry that the challenge has become more about gaining views than creating real awareness. One TikTok user said, 'Call me boring, but it's really just turned into another trend, and half the people doing it don't know the meaning behind it at all.' Another added, 'Is it just me or does this new Ice Bucket Challenge feel extremely performative? Are people actually donating or just posting?' Despite the criticism, the ALS Association is supportive of the new direction. In a statement, the organization expressed appreciation for the continued legacy of the original challenge. 'We applaud efforts to raise awareness for causes like mental health — an issue that also affects the ALS community in profound ways,' the statement read. 'People living with ALS, their caregivers, and loved ones often face depression, anxiety, grief, and isolation. We also honor Pat Quinn, Pete Frates, Anthony Senerchia, and the millions who made the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge a powerful movement. Their spirit of collective action continues to inspire us as we work to make ALS livable and eventually cure it.'
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Viral Ice Bucket Challenge Makes A Comeback, This Time For Mental Health
San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy is seen taking the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in August ... More 2014. The challenge is back for a new cause. More than a decade after the Ice Bucket Challenge flooded social media with footage of people getting drenched in freezing water for a good cause, the viral craze is back — this time to raise awareness and funds for mental health. The original Ice Bucket Challenge made a huge splash in 2024, as everyday people, celebrities, famous athletes, tech CEOs and politicians got tubs of ice water dumped on their heads to increase awareness of the progressive neurodegenerative disease ALS, and raise funds to battle it. The campaign was a staggering success, raising $115 million in donations in just six weeks, and some $220 million overall. The 2025 version originated with students from the University of South Carolina's MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) club, which is dedicated to destigmatizing mental health issues, providing peer support for those who live with it and advocating for suicide prevention. The MIND students call their version of the craze the Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge, with proceeds supporting Active Minds, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that empowers youth and young adults to support their peers struggling with their mental health and transform the way mental health conditions are viewed and addressed. So far, the Speak Your Mind effort has raised more than $190,000 for the organization, whose founder, Alison Malmon, lost her brother to suicide 25 years ago. The tally is increasing by the hour. The Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge follows the same simple format as the original. Participants dump ice water on their heads on camera (or have someone else do the dumping), post the video online and make a donation research. Then they nominate two to five others to follow suit within 24 hours. Participants always know what's coming, but when the ice water hits them, the shock is undeniable — and often amusing. Ten years ago, during the Ice Bucket Challenge's first round, the public especially enjoyed watching high-profile figures like Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, LeBron James and George Takei shiver, scream or laugh their way through the chill. Their willingness to look silly for a cause helped the challenge go viral, and made it feel fun, communal and urgent all at once. Last year, on the 10th anniversary of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the ALS Association released a report on its impact, saying money raised by the peer-to-peer fundraising effort enabled key research findings, including the identification of several new genes associated with ALS risk. MIND kicked off its Ice Bucket Challenge with a video posted to Instagram on March 31. 'We believe conversations about mental health should be just as common just as comfortable as conversations about physical health,' Wade Jefferson, the club's founder, says in the video. High-profile participants in the Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge so far include former NFL players Peyton Manning and Today Show co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly.
