ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge pours into Malta

On Thursday night it was Malta Elementary School Principal Theodore Schye and high school Principal Scott King. Later that night, the M-ette Volleyball team. On Friday afternoon, in 50-degree weather, the entire staff of the First State Bank sat on the curb in front of the bank while a large crew of bucket holders dumped water over their heads. The Ice-bucket challenge – coupled with torrential rain over the weekend -- has left Malta a little soggier than usual at this time of year, but all for a great cause.

It is the Ice-Bucket Challenge and it has taken America by storm.

The Ice-Bucket Challenge works like this: A person dumps ice water on themselves, post the video of the water dumping on social media and challenge more people, by name, to the challenge. Anyone who accepts the challenge is then to donate money ($10 seems to be the norm) to help fight ALS. The people challenged in the post have 24-hours to complete the challenge. If they except, they dump water on themselves, challenge more people, and donate money to the cause. If a person doesn’t want to complete the challenge, they in turn are to donate $100 to the cause.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, according to the ALS Association. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.

Over the past week the donations from people taking the Ice-bucket Challenge have gone up by about $10 million per day and as of August 25 has raised nearly $80 million to help raise money for research and awareness of the disease.

On Thursday, Mr. King and Mr. Schye were challenged to the Ice-Bucket Challenge by Chad Sealey, a former Whitewater teacher and Mustang football coach, currently of Roundup Public Schools.

Before the dousing, Mr. Schye challenged Jim Benn of Ronan and Paul Schilling of Cutbank High School while Mr. King challenged all the coaches of Fall Sports at Malta High School. With a dozen cell phones running, the two men stationed themselves near the buckets of water.

“We are ready to take it on,” King proclaimed.

“I will not scream like a girl,” added Schye.

Members of the Mustang Football team had the honors of dumping the water on the school administrators.

“Cold,” uttered Schye.

“I want another one,” added King.

On Friday the Ice-Bucket Challenge traveled to downtown Malta where the staff of the First State Bank accepted a challenge from a former long-time employee whose husband has ALS. Stephne Erickson Stratton challenged the staff at First State Bank as her husband, Dan, was diagnosed with ALS nine months ago. The couple now live in Havre – where a benefit to help cover medical expenses not covered by insurance was held over the weekend. The staff also completed the Ice-Bucket Challenge for Dale McNamara who recently moved back to Malta with his wife Tammy.

Before the water could fly, the First State Bank crew announced that they challenged First Security Bank and Independence Bank to follow suit with the Ice-Bucket Challenge. And then…splash!