MOSCOW, August 20 (RIA Novosti) - Former US President George W. Bush took Wednesday the so-called ALS ice bucket challenge, as part of the global campaign, launched to raise money for the fight against Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“To you all that challenged me, I do not think it’s presidential for me to be splashed with ice water. I’m simply going to write you a check,” Bush said in a video posted on YouTube, referring to the practice of donating money to cancer research.
The moment he said that, his wife Laura appeared on a sunny porch and splashed a bucket of icy water on her husband’s hand.
“That check is for me. I do not want to ruin my hairstyle,” the former First Lady said, empty bucket in hand.
After doing his part in a bid to raise awareness for Lou Gehrig’s disease, George W. Bush nominated Bill Clinton to step up next.
“Yesterday was Bill’s birthday and my gift to Bill is a bucket of cold water,” Bush added.
The former president was nominated for the viral challenge by his daughter Jenna.
The campaign has taken over social media with a number of high-profile names eager to accept the challenge. Among the most notable participants are Bill Gates, David Beckham, Stephen King, Steven Spielberg and many others.
President Barack Obama nominated by Ethel Kennedy, the 86-year old widow of Senator Robert Kennedy, declined the challenge, saying his contribution to the effort would be rather monetary.
The icy grip of the ALS ice bucket challenge did not come by Russian President Vladimir Putin either, after he was challenged by Vin Diesel. The Russian leader has issued no official response but his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin might be unaware of the challenge and stressed that “we have a slightly different agenda.”
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
According to the ALS Association, the Ice Bucket Challenge helped to raise 22.9 million this year.
