Tri-City sports teams are getting drenched for a good cause. So are business people, politicians and police.
Over the past three weeks, local residents, groups and VIPs have dared one another to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge - a social media phenomenon that aims to build awareness and raise money for research into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease - or donate money to the charity.
On Sunday, after being nominated several times, Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart invited kids to Spirit Square near city hall to get buckets of cold water poured over his head.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore also got kids in on the action - as well as city staff - after being nominated by Surrey Coun. Barinder Rasode. His video, which can be seen on YouTube, shows Moore cycling past a dozen children with ice-filled buckets at the Hyde Creek recreation complex (he also has a camera mounted on his bike to capture his expression).
In turn, Moore nominated his wife, Erin Moore, as well as Port Coquitlam NDP MLA Mike Farnworth and Tri-City Conservative MP James Moore to take the challenge - with MP Moore writing on his Twitter account on Aug. 19: "Rather than an icy video that'll haunt me...." and posted an image of an ALS Society of BC donation receipt.
Last Wednesday, Coquitlam RCMP Supt. Claude Wilcott also had a bucket dumped over his head at the request of his granddaughter, Madison, while the Coquitlam Sr. Adanacs got the Coquitlam Express hockey team in their skivvies for the challenge, with the Fred Page Cup hoisted afterward. They, in turn, picked the Vernon Vipers - the Cup challengers this year - the Langley Rivermen, the Tri-Cities' Chamber of Commerce and BC Premier Christy Clark.
Meanwhile, last Friday, staff at Port Coquitlam's Meridian Meats and Seafood doused themselves while sitting on the back of a truck. Earlier, they had decided to donate $1 for every "Like" their video received on Facebook, for a period of 24 hours.
Kaylesha Penner said Meridian staff had hoped to bring in $1,000 but, in one day, collected 3,000 "Likes," translating to a $3,035 contribution to the ASL Society.
"We would like to challenge other businesses in the area to also participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and funds for this cause," Penner said.
Since the campaign started in mid-August, the ALS Society of BC has raised $43,000, said Rena Mendoza, manager of donor relations; another $40,000 was collected in June at the Tri-Cities-Ridge Meadows ALS Walk at Riverside secondary in PoCo.
