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---
title: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: 2.4 Million Videos on Facebook
description: Facebook told TIME a whopping 2.4 million unique videos related to the Ice Bucket Challenge has been posted on the social media site.
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author: Laura Stampler
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article:published_time: 2014-08-15T18:05:32.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:27.129Z
og:title: This Is How Many Ice Bucket Challenge Videos People Have Posted on Facebook
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og:image:alt: Celebrity Sightings In Philadelphia - August 14, 2014
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6142ff3e3ec02249/69869fbb169ab05d6c27abe6/453611010.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# This Is How Many Ice Bucket Challenge Videos People Have Posted on Facebook

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GIHofBBD.m3u8" -->
## Video: It’ll Be A Cold Day: The Ice Bucket Challenge

[Watch (HLS stream): It’ll Be A Cold Day: The Ice Bucket Challenge](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GIHofBBD.m3u8) (1:33)

![It’ll Be A Cold Day: The Ice Bucket Challenge](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/GIHofBBD/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2014-08-11. If you’ve seen people all over your newsfeed dumping buckets of ice water on themselves, you’re not alone. The Ice Bucket Challenge is ironically one of the hottest things on social media as it tries to raise money for ALS charities._


by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Aug 15, 2014 6:05 PM UTC

![Celebrity Sightings In Philadelphia - August 14, 2014](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6142ff3e3ec02249/69869fbb169ab05d6c27abe6/453611010.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

R&B singer, songwriter and producer Tank takes The Ice Bucket Challenge and challenges his friends

R&B singer, songwriter and producer Tank takes The Ice Bucket Challenge and challenges his friends Gilbert Carrasquillo—GC Images

by 

[Laura Stampler](https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/)


## Laura Stampler


Aug 15, 2014 6:05 PM UTC

**UPDATE** **August 18 2014, 6:22 PM**

If you thought that the only thing on your Facebook Newsfeed right now was videos of people dumping buckets of ice water over their heads, that’s because the only thing on your Facebook Newsfeed right now is videos of people dumping buckets of ice water over their heads.

Facebook told _TIME_ a whopping 2.4 million unique videos related to the Ice Bucket Challenge have been posted on the social media site. As of August 13, there were 1.2 million — a figure that has doubled in just five days.

Most of us know about the Ice Bucket Challenge as a way to raise awareness for ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. People have been challenging everyone from their grandpa to [Bill Gates](https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/500341005262913536) to either dump a bucket of ice water over their head or donate $100 to an ALS-related charity. The movement has raised [more than $12 million for the ALS Association since July 29](http://time.com/3136458/viral-als-ice-bucket-challenge-funds-raised-12-million/), compared to $50 in the same period last year.

(**LIST:** [The 27 Best Celebrity Ice Bucket Challenges](http://time.com/3111965/here-are-the-10-best-celebrity-ice-bucket-challenge-videos/))

**How it spread**

Facebook’s Data Science team found that the Ice Bucket Challenge’s spread was structured around Boston.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt81d0c557f4241535/69869fbce8524bb80560450c/screen-shot-2014-08-15-at-1-12-21-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Facebook

“Each line \[in the map below\] represents at least 10 connections between nominators and nominees for the challenge,” Facebook told _TIME._ “Many attribute the challenge to former Boston College baseball player, [Pete Frates](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100972302395017), who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012, which could explain the concentration in Boston.”


Frates’ disease took the athlete’s ability to speak and move his limbs, so he challenged people in his social network [with the help of the song “Ice, Ice Baby”](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100972302395017) on July 31\. It went viral from there.

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt62b74f485e1f9c47/6986a001e53abad6654d40dc/screen-shot-2014-08-18-at-6-15-00-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Facebook

Facebook found that more than 28 million people have discussed the Ice Bucket Challenge on the site — ranging from posting videos to liking related statuses, between June 1 and August 18.

Although the challenge was linked to ALS in July, Facebook’s data shows that it was being discussed weeks before. The [_WSJ_](http://online.wsj.com/articles/how-the-ice-bucket-challenge-got-its-start-1408049557)reports that it actually got a humble start on the professional golf circuit, when golfers would douse themselves with ice water to get other golfers to support pet charities.



## Transcript

If you've seen people all over your news feed dumping buckets of ice water on themselves, you're not alone. The ice bucket challenge is ironically one of the hottest things on social media as it tries to raise money for ALS foundations. The challenge went viral thanks to former Boston College pitcher Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease disease in 2012. So what does the challenge entail? A person dumps ice water on themselves and then challenges six other people to do the same in 24 hours or donate $ 100 to an ALS charity. Celebrities such as The Fault in Our Stars actor Ansel Elgort and Martha Stewart have joined in on the challenge.

Boston. com and. Frank's parents organized a mass ice bucket challenge last Thursday, after which, the website challenged New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Some questioned the effect of the ice bucket challenge with the Boston Herald quoting a Twitter user as saying. I don't see how dumping a bucket of ice water over your head can cure a disease. Meanwhile Frates told the paper, via Facebook, that exposure like this is what the ALS community needs so we can even attempt to find a cure and reversal for people living with this insidious disease. The challenge has led to a spike in donations for the ALS Association.

The foundation's president, Barbara Newhouse, told CBS's WBZ News Radio that the organization raised more than $ 168, 000 in online donations in the past week, compared to just $ 14, 000 over the same time frame last year.

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