Since the Internet loves to pick apart all good things, there’s been just a hint of backlash to the Ice Bucket Challenge that’s been all the rage among hockey players recently. How, the question goes, is dumping a bucket of not-always-cold-yet water over your head actually doing anyone any good?
The answer, as demonstrated nicely by the Dallas Stars on Monday, is that the video part of the challenge is also inspiring a huge uptick in donations.
As Jim Lites, Jim Nill and alumni association director Bob Bassen took their turn under the bucket Monday, Lites announced the Stars and owner Tom Gaglardi were combining to donate $20,000 toward ALS research. You can check out both the announcement and the dousing here:
The Stars aren’t the only ones getting in on the donations either – the ALS Association, the largest of several charities that have become associated with the campaign, has seen a 61-fold increase in donations compared to the same time period last year, and that doesn’t count donations that went to local chapters.
According to The ALS Association spokeswoman Carrie Munk, the organization has collected $1.35 million from July 29 to Aug. 11. That’s not counting donations to chapter offices around the country, Munk said. During the same time period last year, donations totaled $22,000.
The chain is continuing to roll through the Stars as well, with 12 roster players at last count (not including Patrick Eaves, who was reportedly involved very early but for whom I cannot find video evidence), much of the coaching staff and many on the hockey ops side having turned in their videos.
The Stars have put all the videos together in one convenient location, which includes relatively new entries from Brenden Dillon, Shawn Horcoff, Jason Spezza and Lindy Ruff.
Others related to the Stars who have been tagged and responded include JeffK, Bob Sturm, Grubes and our own Brandon Worley (who thankfully did not tag me because really, no one wants to see that). Ralph Strangis’ video is not included either, nor is this very recent entry “tardy but tidy” entry by Razor. He even dressed up for the occasion.
Trevor Daley and Valeri Nichushkin are among the remaining players that I know have been tagged who have not yet turned in videos.
They will have quite a ways to go to match this effort from free agent forward Paul Bissonnette, who turned the whole thing up to 17 – because this is well beyond 11 – with a two-and-a-half minute music video entry. Nice work.