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High school friends (from left) Rayna Prieto, Sammy Tague, Ava Tajbakhsh, and Emma Johnson "celebrate" the last day of summer vacation Sunday afternoon by accepting the Ice Bucket Challenge and getting doused at Moraga Commons Park. Unseen behind the girls is Chris Brown, who is hefting a second, much larger, bucket of ice water. Ava's mom opted to make a donation to ALS research but enjoys wielding a bucket. On the right, Lafayette resident Tami Mirner is doused by her husband, Christian.
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Lamorinda residents have joined a cadre of thousands of people across the world who are taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, helping to raise tens of millions of dollars for research of the progressive neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
The challenge began as an idea by Pete Frates, a former baseball player at Boston College who has been living with ALS since 2012, and it has taken off, with challenges involving celebrities like a bikini-clad Gwyneth Paltrow, Jimmy Fallon and even Martha Stewart. In an effort to raise ALS awareness and funds, people are recording themselves getting doused with buckets of ice cold water and then challenging others to do the same within 24 hours. The photos and videos are posted and shared on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Those who refuse the challenge are asked to make a donation of $100 to a local ALS chapter.
On Aug. 13, Campolindo High School football players took to the ice ... water, raising awareness and funds with Lafayette resident Matt Chaney, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2001 and is a tireless advocate for ALS research and support. The challenges continued, spreading to the Burton Valley neighborhood where Tami Mirner was doused by her husband, Christian, with a bucket of freezing water at their Lafayette home. Chaney's son, Brian, challenged girlfriend Caitlin Januszewski, of Orinda, who endured a chilly downpour. And some high school juniors from Miramonte and Campolindo met at the Moraga Commons Park, on the last day before the start of the new school year, in support of the Ousterman family of Moraga; husband and father Doug Ousterman lost his battle with ALS eight years ago.
Next up? Chaney issued the challenge to the Lafayette City Council, which responded with a unanimous "yes." An exception was made to the challenge's 24-hour rule in order for the city to comply with the Brown Act and properly notice the council gathering 72 hours in advance. The entire council, five brave souls who donate their time to keep the city running, will have ice water dumped on their heads at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Chaney Fields, also known as Buckeye Fields, 711 St. Mary's Road.
From there, who knows? Maybe a bucket of freezing water is in your future? J. Wake and C. Tyson
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA