Recently, the ice bucket challenge, also known as "icy challenge," spread rapidly on the Internet, firstly among the celebrities and then ordinary people. The "ice bucket challenge"—which requires participants to pour a bucket of cold water with ice cubes over themselves, upload a video recording of it on social media, and nominate three others to do the same—has gone viral worldwide in recent weeks. Those who are nominated but choose not to complete the challenge are asked to donate $100 to an association working to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease). Often, nominees are encouraged to do both tasks.
In August, this "challenge" became wildly popular in China, especially among celebrities. Almost everyone from tech executives to movie stars has taken part.
Needless to say, this activity has drawn unprecedented attention to the disease. It was reported that as of August 24, more than 8.5 million yuan ($1.38 million) had been raised for the China-Dolls Center for Rare Disorders, the largest non-profit organization in China working to fight rare conditions. In 2013, the organization collected just 2 million yuan ($325,600) over the course of the year.
Some have questioned the practice of commercializing a charitable cause. Others joke that many celebrities in China are waiting anxiously to be nominated by better-known celebrities to join in, all in the name of "charity." Excerpts of opinions on the fad follow: