“Star Wars: Episode VII” director J.J. Abrams is the latest celebrity to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Abrams shared a video through his Bad Robot Productions YouTube channel. The “Star Wars” director revealed his grandfather, Samuel Adams, suffered from the disease. Abrams’ children poured several buckets of ice water on him. Check out the video below.
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has raised more than $15.6 million in donations since it began on July 29, according to a news release. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, affects the attacks’ the body’s nerve cells.
The disease effects voluntary muscle movements, such as the ability to walk, chew and breathe, eventually leading to paralysis. The ALS Association wants to continue to spread awareness and help raise money to find a cure.
Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of The ALS Association, released a statement regarding the influx of donations since the Ice Bucket Challenge.
"We have never seen anything like this in the history of the disease,” Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of The ALS Association, said in a statement. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the level of compassion, generosity and sense of humor that people are exhibiting as they take part in this impactful viral initiative."
"While the monetary donations are absolutely incredible,” Newhouse added, “the visibility that this disease is getting as a result of the challenge is truly invaluable. People who have never before heard of ALS are now engaged in the fight to find treatments and a cure for ALS."
