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Simona Peneva  

For the first time a collective performance of the ice bucket challenge was organized in Athens. Its initiator was merchant Thanassis Psilopoulous. He decided to invite two thousand of his customers to take the challenge together and donate a sum of money. In addition, one euro from each online purchase made ​​ that day was donated to the ALS ice bucket challenge and one euro to the "Friends of the Child" charity.

Each of the employees in his company was also involved in the challenge, along with about five hundred people who had accepted the invitation of the owner. "In no case is our shop performing this event to advertise itself. The fact is that, from the seventy-five thousand people who liked our page, we invited only two thousand to the event. We did not announce it on the radio nor even on the official website of the shop. Modestly and humbly we invite everyone who wants to be useful and help to join us," said one of the employees. According to him, the ice bucket challenge is not for fun. "There are many different opinions on the matter. Our customers are not unanimous either. Some see it as fun and others take the challenge more seriously," he added.

The ice bucket challenge is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on the head of the person who has taken the challenge. The aim is to raise the awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to initiate more donations to research this disease. 1,540 people suffer from this serious illness in Greece alone. The rules are as follows: there must be a video of the challenge, showing that the person who has taken the challenge nominates three more people and then a bucket of ice water is poured on his or her head.
    The nominees have twenty-four hours to take the challenge. Those who have accepted it donate ten dollars and those who have not ventured on the ice challenge donate one hundred. The popularity of the ice bucket challenge is great and an increasing number of countries are involved in it. Some people are strongly opposed to the pouring of ice water over someone’s head because many of those who have taken the challenge perform only that part without donating money. According to them, charity should not be approached through entertainment and there are many other ways in which one can contribute. Their opponents respond that if this part were missing the challenge would have never become so popular and even half of those who have taken it so far would have not accepted to just donate money.  
    In just fifteen days, 5.5 million dollars were collected with the challenge compared to 32,000 dollars last year, for the same period. Celebrities have also nominated each other and now hardly any of them have not taken the challenge. Stars like Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Grigor Dimitrov, Lady Gaga and many others took the challenge and donated large sums of money. In Greece too, celebrities like Markos Seferlis, Fei Skorda, Mary Sinatsaki and Nikos Aliagas took the challenge.  

While in all countries the donations go to research the ALS disease, in Bulgaria there is another charity to donate money in this way, namely in support of the destitute people in Miziya. "The funds raised to support Miziya have increased by several hundred percent in a week, so it does not matter whether people laugh or not. The initiative has sparked interest and helped people," says singer Ruth Koleva, who is one of those who took the challenge.