According to CNN, with thousands of ice bucket dumps in Ice Bucket Challenge, over 17 million people took part in the challenge to spread awareness in addition to supporting the research into ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is a neurodegenerative disease.

On April 20, ALS Association said that the challenge raised over US$220 million (S$300.7 million) from throughout the world. Nearly 2.5 million people in the US made a donation of US$115 million (S$157.3 million) to the ALS Association.

In 2012, former baseball player Peter Frates was diagnosed with ALS. He then came up with the idea of the social media stunt. Last year, in July, he thought of challenging his friends to do the act in an attempt to raise awareness of the condition.

Millions of people together with celebrities and politicians, throughout the world participated in the challenge. The ALS Association said in an update on its website that US$11.6 million of the ice bucket will be used in 58 new research grants to help find treatments for the condition. As per reports, the money will be used in important areas that include patient, research and community services, public and professional education. The ALS Association is again looking forward to the phenomenon to raise donations this year.

According to a statement on the website, "Let's keep it up this August and every August until there's a cure".