First to take the Ice Bucket Challenge

POLOKWANE – The Free2Bme Academic Centre in the city decided to be one of the first to brave the cold and take the Ice Bucket Challenge laid before them by Polokwane Royal Maintenance last week.

René Petitt, Maggie van der Spek, Bianca du Plessis, Ester Jost and Aasina Bava decided to accept the challenge of pouring ice water over each other, however, they also decided to make a donation towards motor neurone disease research.

The centre also issued a new challenge to Eli Ströh Property Services, Numeri Accountants and Chris Viljoen from Panasonic in Polokwane. While it is customary for the challenge to be accepted or declined within 24 hours of it having been made, by the time of going to print, none of those who had been challenged had responded as yet.

This challenge is known as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge elsewhere in the world. ALS, which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is more commonly known as motor neurone disease (MND) in South Africa. Awareness of MND grew in South Africa when Springbok rugby legend, Joost van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with the illness in 2011. MND is a progressive disease involving degeneration of the motor neurons and wasting of the muscles. Early symptoms have been likened to the feeling of having a cold bucket of water poured over oneself.

For more information on this disease, or to make a donation, contact the Motor Neurone Disease/ALS Association of South Africa at (021) 531 6130 or visit www.mnda.org.za.