Winnipeg Jets participate in Ice bucket challenge

If you’re wondering why Jets alternate captain Mark Stuart is soaking wet in the above picture it is because he took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge.

This was started by two college kids who are battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was one of the first NHL player to]take the ice bath in the NHL and it has resonated as players across the league have taken part.

Following Stuart’s dousing he nominated Jets captain Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler, Evander Kane and Anthony Peluso.  They have in-turn challenged other Jets players who are helping to spread the word.

For more information on ALS and how you can help here is a link to ALS Canada.

Videos:

Mark Chipman – click here.  (He challened NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who accepted)

Mark Stuart – click here.

Andrew Ladd – click here.

Blake Wheeler – click here.

Evander Kane – click here.

Bryan Little – click here.

Dustin Byfuglien – click here.

Jim Slater – click here.

Anthony Peluso – click here.

Zach Bogosian – click here.

Grant Clitsome – click here.

Matt Halischuk – click here.

Mark Scheifele – click here.

Jacob Trouba – click here.

Ben Chiarot – click here.

Josh Morrissey – click here.

Carl Klingberg – click here.

Brenden Kichton – click here.

Jussi Olkinuora – click here.

Nic Petan – click here.

Scott Kosmachuk – click here.

Andrew Copp – click here.

Chase De Leo – click here.

Eric Comrie – click here.

And it isn’t just professional athletes who are taking the challenge.  In addition to the Jets front office staff and trainers, our own Ezra Ginsburg participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge and looks like the rest of IC will have to take part to fulfill his challenge.  I took part in the challenge on Monday evening and that video can be seen here.

Some people are questioning the validity of this challenge.  I’ve seen a few people suggest “what is the point?”.  Aside from raising awareness (how many people knew what ALS was before this began?) this is also raising money.  In fact when I checked out the US version of the ALS site they had posted the following:

“Between July 29 and today, August 13, The ALS Association and its 38 chapters have received an astonishing $5.7 million in donations compared to $1.2 million during the same time period last year. These donations have come from existing donors and 106,955 new donors to The Association.”

So not only has awareness of this terrible disease been increased, so have funds to help fight it.