After ten years, the Ice Bucket Challenge has returned, with a new focus on mental health awareness. Revived by students at the University of South Carolina’s Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) Club, this challenge has spread across social media and even to our own students at Daytona State.
Back in 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge was a viral trend started to raise awareness and funds for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. Beginning with the friends and supporters of former baseball player Pete Frates and led to celebrities such as Taylor Swift and LeBron James. This challenge raised over $115 million for ALS research in the U.S, leading to significant scientific breakthroughs, although the disease is still without a cure.
Photo by Brigitte Traill
Now in 2025, it’s been rebranded as “Speak Your MIND” with the focus being on mental health, it encourages participants to speak on mental health while taking part in the ice-cold challenge. The MIND club hopes to combat the stigmas surrounding mental health. The MIND club has partnered with a nonprofit called Active Minds to raise money to change the mental health norms across society.
The return of this challenge does not signal a replacement; it has not lost its original purpose. Many participants are using the challenge to spotlight both causes. For younger participants who are unfamiliar with the original campaign from 11 years ago, this revival has served as an entry point to learn about ALS and its impact on many people’s lives.
If you are nominated, don’t hesitate to grab a bucket, speak your mind, and help to spread awareness. The ice bucket challenge is not just about the cold water, it’s about starting conversations that matter.
Currently, social media is one of the best ways to spread awareness, so even if you are not nominated, consider joining in or sharing a video that speaks to you. All posts, likes, and views help to push these issues into the spotlight.
The challenge proves that even a silly thing, like having ice water poured over you, can carry a powerful message. So, speak up and get soaked, tag a few friends. You never know who will be inspired to continue the chain.