Taylor Swift posted her Ice Bucket Challenge video for ALS after being challenged by both Ingrid Michaelson and Lily Aldridge. The 24-year-old singer took time out of her VMA performance rehearsal to film the video and revealed that she was going to be donating a lot more than $100.
Jaime King, who was nominated by husband Kyle Newman, took the challenge with Taylor. The two BFFs dumped their buckets of ice water onto each other. That’s what we call friendship!
It may seem like a silly social media meme, but it’s making a difference: The ALS Association reports that it, and its 38 chapters, received $4 million in donations in just two weeks. Last year during that same time period, (July 29-August 12), the association brought in $1.1 million.
“We have never seen anything like this in the history of the disease,” said Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of The ALS Association, in a release on the association’s website. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the level of compassion, generosity and sense of humor that people are exhibiting as they take part in this impactful viral initiative.
They were rumoured to be feuding earlier this year. But Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez seemed to indicate that any iciness between them is long gone as they both participated in the ALS ice bucket challenge on Saturday. Selena, 22, promptly took on the challenge after Taylor, 24, nominated her while teaming up with Jaime King to lead a large group in the endeavour.
As seen in the first video Taylor Instagrammed, she also nominates Emma Stone and Ed Sheeran, as Jaime, 35, nominates Lena Dunham, Topher Grace, and the Hart Of Dixie cast. Taylor also thanks Lily Aldridge and Ingrid Michaelson for having chosen her to take on the charitable antic, while Jaime thanks her husband Kyle Newman. Taylor sports a black racer back tank top that shows her hot pink bra straps, teamed with tiny black shorts while Jaime shows off her killer abs in a black crop top paired with black high-waisted leggings.
In the second video, Taylor gestures to the large crowd standing behind her, while she and Jaime hold handfuls of hundred dollars bills. 'Every single person you see here – we're going to donate on their behalf a hundred dollars each to the cause. Oh dear God we’re going to do this,' the leggy blonde says. The money will go to the ALS Association, a charity that fights Lou Gerhig's disease.
Lily and Chloe are bringing awareness to ALS!! Bridgit Mendler you are challenged!!! You have 24 hours!! Help us get this video to her!!
Bridgit Mendler is in the midst of her 2014 Summer Tour during which she has shown that she is an ex-Disney star whom fans should take seriously. One of the biggest challenges for ex-Disney entertainers is for them to demonstrate that they are worthy of being taken seriously as adult performers because people are so accustomed to the images they developed under which is what initially made them famous.
The attractive singer-songwriter showed during a recent performance at the Erie County Fair that she not only can connect with her audience while singing but she is able to do so while not having to be 'outrageous' in the manner of some of her ex-Disney colleagues such as Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez.
A philanthropist who drove the popularity of the Ice Bucket Challenge has died in a drowning accident after diving from a building in the US. Corey Griffin died hours after raising $150,000 (£90,000) to help his friend Pete Frates fight motor neurone disease ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), The Boston Globe reported.
The 27-year-old dove off the roof of the "Juice Guys" building in Nantucket, Massachusetts, into a harbour on Friday 15 August. “He was the happiest guy in the world,” Griffin's father Robert, told the newspaper. “He called me last night and told me he was in paradise.” Jumping from the building is a tradition, according to locals. Griffin's death was ruled accidental by the state Office of Public Safety and Security.
Corey Griffin, 27, died after raising 150,000 (£90,000).
Posting a tribute on Facebook, Frates said: “Team FrateTrain lost a good friend today, Corey Griffin. Helping out was nothing new for Griff. He held his own event for me back in 2012, just a few months after diagnosis." "He worked his butt off these last few weeks for ALS. We texted everyday, planning and scheming ways to raise funds and plan events."
The Ice Bucket Challenge, which sees participants agree to nominations to be dunked in cold water or donate money to the ALS Association, has become a viral sensation. Celebrities including David Beckham, Cheryl Cole, Anna Wintour and George Bush have taken the challenge to raise $31.5 million (£19 million) for the charity.
Former President George W. Bush took the ice bucket challenge then nominated former President Bill Clinton to do it next. The challenge has caught on with notable figures participating in the campaign to raise money for the fight against ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.
In a video posted Wednesday on Bush's Facebook page, he says: "To you all who challenged me, I do not think it's presidential for me to be splashed with ice water, so I'm simply going to write you a check."
The video, taken in Kennebunkport, Maine, then shows a smiling Laura Bush dousing him. She says: "That check is from me - I didn't want to ruin my hairstyle." Also in Maine this week, author Stephen King took the challenge, and then challenged John Grisham.
As the 43rd president of the United States begins to write the check, the former first lady sneaks up behind him and douses her hubby with a bucket of freezing cold H2O. Sneaky! "That check is for me," she says with a mischievous smile. "I don't want to ruin my hairstyle." So who did the commander in chief choose to nominate? None other than Bill Clinton, of course! "And now it's my privilege to challenge Bill Clinton to the ALS challenge," he says. "Yesterday was Bill's birthday and my gift to Bill is a bucket of cold water."