Latest news with #WadeJefferson
Arabian Post
14-05-2025
- Health
- Arabian Post
Ice Bucket Challenge Returns with Mental Health Focus
A decade after its viral debut, the Ice Bucket Challenge has re-emerged with a renewed mission: promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Spearheaded by students at the University of South Carolina, the 2025 iteration, dubbed the #SpeakYourMIND Challenge, has rapidly gained traction on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The campaign was initiated by Wade Jefferson, a junior at USC, following the tragic loss of two friends to suicide. Organized through the university's Mental Illness Needs Discussion Club, the challenge encourages participants to douse themselves with ice water, share the experience online, and nominate others to do the same or donate to Active Minds, a nonprofit dedicated to youth mental health. Since its launch, the movement has surpassed expectations, raising over $345,000 for Active Minds. The organization's website has experienced a significant surge in traffic, reflecting the campaign's widespread impact. The original 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge, aimed at raising awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , garnered global attention and raised over $220 million for research. While the current focus has shifted to mental health, the ALS Association has expressed support for the new initiative, highlighting the shared goal of fostering awareness and support for critical health issues. However, some members of the ALS community have voiced concerns about the challenge's new direction. Brooke Eby, an ALS patient and influencer, expressed frustration on social media, emphasizing the ongoing need for ALS research and the risk of diluting the original message. Despite differing opinions, the #SpeakYourMIND Challenge has garnered participation from various public figures, including Peyton Manning and James Charles, further amplifying its reach. Live television segments, such as ITV's 'This Morning,' have also featured spontaneous participations, bringing the challenge to broader audiences. See also AI Browser Shift Sparks Alarms Over Online Privacy
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Business Standard
01-05-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
The Ice Bucket Challenge is back-this time, to fight a silent epidemic
Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge, when our social media feeds were flooded with videos of people dumping buckets of ice water over their heads? It's making a comeback, with a new mission. In 2014, people dumped freezing water over their heads to raise awareness for a neurodegenerative disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Now, in 2025, the viral sensation has returned, aiming to sensitise people about mental health issues. Why the Ice Bucket Challenge is trending again in 2025—for mental health The revival, dubbed the #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge, was initiated by Wade Jefferson, a junior at the University of South Carolina. After losing two friends to suicide, Jefferson partnered with USC's MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) Club to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention among young people. The goal of the 2025 challenge is to destigmatise mental health issues and promote open conversations about mental wellbeing. Participants are encouraged to pour ice water over themselves, post the video on social media with the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND, and donate to Active Minds, a nonprofit focused on mental health education for youth. The challenge has quickly gained traction on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with notable figures such as YouTuber and media personality Mr Beast, American football quarterback Peyton Manning, Carson Daly, and YouTuber and make-up artist James Charles among others joining in. The campaign has also seen widespread participation from students and young adults across the US. Our amazing School Psychologists and School Social Workers (and Mrs. Martinez) proudly completed the Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge ???? Mental health matters — and we're here for our students and community every step of the way. #SpeakYourMIND — MHHS_Counseling (@MHHS_Counseling) April 25, 2025 Deputy Eric Underwood, the School Resource Officer at Niwot High School, accepted the #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for mental health and support youth advocacy through Active Minds. After taking the plunge, he challenged school staff to complete their… — Boulder County Sheriff's Office (@BldrCOSheriff) April 29, 2025 Deputy Eric Underwood, the School Resource Officer at Niwot High School, accepted the #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for mental health and support youth advocacy through Active Minds. After taking the plunge, he challenged school staff to complete their… — Boulder County Sheriff's Office (@BldrCOSheriff) April 29, 2025 How the 2025 Ice Bucket Challenge supports youth mental health funding The 2025 campaign has so far raised over $394,413 in just a few days, and the aim is to raise $500,000, according to the official website of Active Minds How the original 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge compares to the 2025 version The original 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a massive success, raising approximately $220 million worldwide for ALS research, with $115 million going directly to the ALS Association. The campaign saw participation from over 17 million people globally. Mental health experts raise concerns about social performance activism While the resurgence of the challenge has been widely welcomed, concerns have been raised regarding the suitability of its format, particularly in the context of mental health advocacy. Critics note a fundamental contradiction in promoting awareness around mental health issues through a mechanism rooted in public nomination and social performance. Such a format, they argue, risks evolving into a popularity-driven exercise, where the act of nominating peers may inadvertently marginalise those who are left out, potentially exacerbating feelings of exclusion and isolation.
CTV News
29-04-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Reimagined Ice Bucket Challenge comes to the Maritimes
It might not be 2014, but the Ice Bucket Challenge is sweeping social media for a new cause. Reimagined by Wade Jefferson at the University of South Carolina, the Speak Your MIND Ice Bucket Challenge is focusing on mental health this time around, and it's making waves north of the border. 'We saw it as an opportunity and a platform to bring more awareness to mental health issues,' said Lana McMullen, director of programs and services at the Zatzman Sportsplex in Dartmouth, N.S. The Sportsplex was nominated by Cole Harbour Place and accepted the challenge with open arms. 'A wider audience again is always a good thing. I thought we would accept the challenge and take the opportunity to use that platform and get that message out there to hopefully reach more people,' McMullen said. The challenge is not associated with any mental health organizations in Canada, but still seeks to spread awareness. 'Raising awareness leads to action,' said Neicole Killawee, communications manager for the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. 'And what we really want is more and more people to get comfortable with the idea that it's okay to not be okay, and that help is available.' 'While CMHA Nova Scotia is not formally involved in the initiative, we're encouraged to see Nova Scotians taking part and choosing to donate to CMHA,' said Johanne Thompson, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association's Nova Scotia division. 'We've also heard that several of our counterparts across the country and in Atlantic Canada have received support through this renewed effort — a clear sign of how deeply this cause resonates with communities in our region." 'We just took the opportunity to get that message to people,' McMullen said. 'If people want to make donations, absolutely. There are plenty of foundations that will graciously accept donations. But it was more about getting the message out that says, these are the people that can help you. 'A lot of people come through these doors knowing that the benefits that they get from participating in activities in this facility are beneficial to them and to their mental health, and it's detrimental to their mental health when they don't. If we can get a message out there to somebody having a mental health crisis, these are the numbers to call if you need help.'
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
After 11 years, social media's sensational 'Ice Bucket Challenge' is back. This time with a new purpose
The Ice Bucket Challenge, a viral campaign that raised millions for ALS research a decade ago, has returned with a new cause. College students, led by Wade Jefferson at the University of South Carolina, have revived the challenge to raise awareness about mental health. Using the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND, participants encourage donations to Active Minds, a nonprofit supporting mental health. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads ( Originally published on Apr 27, 2025 ) Is it deja vu or have we seen this trend before?It's not just you. The Ice Bucket Challenge , which took over social media a decade ago, has found new life thanks to a group of college students who copied the concept, in its entirety, to spread mental health awareness Here's what you need to original Ice Bucket Challenge, which grew out of other online fads but was popularized as an ALS fundraiser by activists Pat Quinn and Pete Frates, was a campaign that began in 2014 to raise awareness and help find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The challenge was simple: film yourself dumping a bucket of ice-filled water over your head. Post it and challenge friends to either donate $100 to ALS research within 24 hours or film their own watery video. (Many people opted for both.)In a shockingly big way. The videos took off online, inspiring people around the world to drench themselves in freezing water for the cause and to urge friends to do the same. Celebrities from Taylor Swift to LeBron James to Bill Gates participated. The campaign raised hundreds of millions of dollars and drew worldwide attention to the disease. It was a rare moment of true, organic virality on a global scale.A 2024 report by the group RTI, which was commissioned by the ALS Association, said there was "clear evidence" that the Ice Bucket Challenge had substantially accelerated ALS back. Wade Jefferson, a 21-year-old student at the University of South Carolina, said he was inspired by the success of the original Ice Bucket Challenge while trying to come up with an event for a mental health awareness club he founded on campus called MIND. (The name is an acronym Mental Illness Needs Discussion, which referenced a similarly-named club at his high school. He was motivated to start the club after losing two friends to suicide, he said.)This time, the challenge, using the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND, is intended to spread awareness about mental health. Participants are encouraged to make donations to Active Minds, a nonprofit that focuses on mental health and young Shane Beamer, the head football coach at the University of South Carolina, posted a video participating, Jefferson said he knew the challenge was gaining It's quite popular on Instagram stories, where people post videos encouraging their friends to Picado, 23, said her teenage sister, Sharon Frias, woke her up to ask her to dump ice water on the 15-year-old's head. The sisters, who live in Saddlebrook, New Jersey, filmed the video with Picado leaning out her bedroom window with a kitchen pot to soak her sister sitting below. (Picado said she remembered participating in the ALS challenge as a preteen a decade ago.)"I was waiting to be nominated because I saw friend after friend doing it," Frias said. "It seemed like a fun way to spread mental awareness. It's a good message."Former NFL players Peyton Manning and Emmanuel Sanders have both participated this time around. (Manning also did the challenge in 2014.) Carson Daly, a host of "Today," dumped a bowl of ice water on Jenna Bush Hager in a segment this week. More celebrities will surely join in on the people online have pointed out the irony of a challenge spreading mental health awareness that is built upon having a friend to nominate you. It can feel a little like a popularity contest, some said."I didn't know if I should do it or not," said Sasha Steinke, a 16-year-old who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. "I was thinking of all the people that don't get nominated. It could feel like they're sort of left out and that, like, defeats the purpose of including people,"Still, she decided to participate, explaining she had experienced mental health struggles and was excited to see conversations about those all-too-common issues being are, though not quite like last time. The challenge had raised nearly $250,000 as of article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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."
