26-04-2025
Hinsdale schools join national ice bucket movement for mental health awareness
HINSDALE, Ill. — More than a decade later, the ice bucket challenge has returned but with a new mission this time.
The viral sensation has people across the country participating, even in schools in the Chicagoland area.
On Friday, Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Superintendent Dr. Michael Lach took the plunge.
'By doing this we can help remind students, teachers, families and staff that it's something that affects all of us,' Superintendent Lach said.
Superintendent Lach took on the ice bucket challenge for the Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Movement. It's part of a national campaign for active minds, a nonprofit promoting mental health awareness and education.
The topic hits close to home at Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central, both part of District 86.
'We lost two of our students in the past few weeks. Mental health is a serious situation, and we have to pay attention to it,' Superintendent Lach said. 'If by getting an ice bucket over my head, brings a little more attention to this, then that's great.'
The original ice bucket challenge kicked off in 2014 in support of the fight against ALS. The trend is back after the University of South Carolina's mental illness needs discussion club – or mind club for short – launched the challenge focused on mental health.
'Over the past few years, mental health has been destigmatized a lot. This challenge just brings awareness that it can happen to anybody,' Uyen Millon, a student at Hinsdale South, said.
Superintendent Lach challenged the students to not only take the plunge themselves but find a way to get as many classmates involved as possible before graduation.
'I think I'm going to go through the sports teams and just try to get all the teams together to figure out a way to do this,' David Lee Young, a student at Hinsdale Central, said.
The superintendent also said they're taking on this challenge in memory and in response to the heartbreaking loss of the two students.
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