5/ TheBucknerClarion.com August 28, 2014
Ice Bucketed for ALS
City Officials Take Challenge for a Good Cause
ALS is Amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), often referred
to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is
a progressive
neurodegenerative disease that
affects nerve cells in the brain
and the spinal cord.
Motor neurons reach from the
brain to the spinal cord and from
the spinal cord to the muscles
throughout the body.
The progressive degeneration of
the motor neurons in ALS
eventually leads to their death.
When the motor neurons die,
the ability of the brain to initiate
and control muscle movement
is lost. With voluntary muscle
action progressively affected,
patients in the later stages of
the disease may become totally
paralyzed.
The ALS challenge continues to
gain momentum across the
country. The ALS Association
says it has received nearly $23
million in public donations over
the last three weeks because of
the challenge. The association
received just $1.9 million during
the same period last year.
"Our top priority right now is
acknowledging all the gifts made
by donors to the ALS
Association," said The ALS
Association's President and CEO
Barbara Newhouse, in a
statement to the press. "We
want to be the best stewards of
this incredible influx of support.
To do that, we need to be
strategic in our decision making
as to how the funds will be spent
so that when people look back
on this event in ten and twenty
years, the Ice Bucket Challenge
will be seen as a real game-
changer for ALS," she added.
Buckner city officials recently
got in on the action, making
private online donations to
support the cause.
Pictured from left to right:
Top photo: Kyle Case, Larry
Neidel, Yvonna Stapleton, Karen
Hickson, Cassie Elefson, Jordan
Elefson
Middle photo: Mason Case,
Karen Case, Kirk Kellough, Ed
Burns, Mike Larkin
Bottom photo: City of Buckner
Police Department
