Have a look at the rules, reason and meaning of the ice water bucket challenge in 2025
Why has the Ice Bucket Challenge returned, then? Here is all the information you need to understand why the trend has returned with a new mission.
In an effort to raise money and awareness for Lou Gehrig’s illness, sometimes known as ALS, millions of individuals online dumped buckets of cold water on their heads and took out their wallets in 2014.
Ice Water Bucket Challenge 2025 rules, reason, meaning, origin and how to donate
The internet was dominated by the philanthropic phenomenon, from George W. Bush challenging Bill Clinton to Oprah Winfrey nominating Steven Spielberg. However, it seems that the Ice Bucket Challenge followed suit, fading from the spotlight as soon as it appeared, just like all trends do. But now, almost ten years later, it’s back, but this time it’s focused on mental health.
People pour a bucket of cold water over their heads (or have someone else do it) as part of the original cold Bucket Challenge, a viral phenomenon that raises awareness of ALS and encourages donations.
I just heard about the Ice Bucket Challenge where you pour ice water on yourself to support mental health awareness. pic.twitter.com/eEMDr2ohBZ
— Diya Sharma (@DiyaSharma017) April 21, 2025
According to the association’s official website, it started in the summer of 2014 when professional golfer Chris Kennedy invited his cousin Jeanette Senerchia to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge in memory of her husband, Anthony Senerchia, who had been diagnosed with ALS.
In a March 2025 Instagram video, Wade Jefferson, the founder of the University of South Carolina’s Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) Club, announced the launch of the “SparkYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge.”
The group stated in the caption that contributions would benefit Active Minds, the biggest nonprofit in the United States devoted to eradicating the stigma associated with mental health in children and young adults, and that participants should nominate those they feel they can “SpeakYourMIND” to.
Just please acknowledge why the ice bucket challenge first blew up: ALS. And we’re still waiting on a cure with a 2-5 year prognosis. #als #icebucketchallenge pic.twitter.com/6jpjtRkZ7e
— Brooke Eby (@limpbroozkit) April 22, 2025
According to NBC News, Jefferson, a junior at USC, started the MIND group after two of his classmates committed suicide. The initiative has earned almost $190,000 for Active Minds, despite his initial $500 fundraising goal and assumption that the challenge would simply spread around campus.
Rules for the 2025 Ice Bucket Challenge
The Ice Bucket Challenge has straightforward regulations, including how to choose the next contestant. Participants are instructed by USC Mind to tag two to five individuals in their videos in order to nominate them for Ice Bucket Challenge with the nominated people then needing to pour a bucket of ice water on themselves and then nominating another 2-5 people after finishing the challenge. Additional guidelines include donating to the charity via its fundraising page and use the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND.
Ice Bucket Challenge By HaleyyBaylee!#IceBucketChallenge #USC pic.twitter.com/RUprDz597n
— Ice Bucket Challenge (@IceBuck3tC) April 23, 2025