With the temperature hovering around 100 degrees, it was almost a relief to see those buckets of ice water lined up on the lawn. However, it was still obviously a little too cold for comfort for these 25 Socketeers!
 
Social media can be a powerful tool for generating visibility of a cause or effort – and that’s how the Ice Bucket Challenge grew so fast. Here’s how it works:
 

• Someone issues a challenge, usually to a friend or family member.
   
• The person challenged can either decline by making a monetary donation to a charity or cause, or they can accept the Ice Bucket Challenge.
   
• If accepted, the person must film themselves pouring a bucket of ice water over their head. This video is posted to social media as proof.
   
• The person then challenges three other people to the same challenge.

In either case, the charity will gain a monetary donation, or increased visibility through the spread of the videos. According to the New York Times, there have been over a million videos posted so far.

Socket’s owners issued the Ice Bucket Challenge to all of our employees, with a slight twist – instead of asking for donations, our owners instead would make a $20 donation on behalf of everyone who took the challenge.

In all, these brave Socketeers raised over $600 for the John Paul II Medical Research Institute. This organization is dedicated to finding the most ethical and cost-effective ways of conducting medical research, in order to develop therapies and cures for a variety of diseases, including ALS.

To learn more about the John Paul II Medical Research Institute, visit their website at jp2mri.org.