It seems like everyone is taking the chilly challenge. From your neighbor to high-profile celebrities, people are dumping buckets of ice water on their heads to raise awareness for ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Even our WBIR family got in on the act, to encourage people to donate to ALS or take part in the ALS walk later this year.
The ice bucket challenge has gone viral, but while it's a fun way to get involved, for people with ALS, and their families, the disease is a serious illness they deal with every day.
The Erskine family enjoys watching all of ice soakings on social media. Bayard Erskine was diagnosed three years ago.
"I love this that's it's going around and the awareness and the money it's producing," Bayard said. "Without the awareness you would still sort of be on the back burner for this disease. This moves it to the front burner."
"It touched us so deeply that people were willing to take the time and make the effort to bring awareness to this disease which we refer to as 'the beast,'" said Bayard's wife of 31 years, Kathy.
The disease hijacks your nervous system, and eventually shuts down your muscles. At diagnosis, doctors give patients two to five years to live, but three years in, Bayard isn't stopping his fight anytime soon.
Learn More: ALS Association of Tennessee
"Of course, my legs went first and now it's going into my arms and its progressing. And I understand that but I will keep my mind and can hopefully participate and learn the cause of this with Emory Hospital," said Bayard, who's currently in a clinic trial at the Atlanta hospital.
The Erskines say what helps them get through is the support offered by the ALS Association of Tennessee. Much of their funding comes from the upcoming Walk to Defeat ALS, which is set for September 13.
Get involved: Walk to Defeat ALS
"We've reaped the benefits of the impact these donations really make to help our families," Kathy said. The Erskines attend a weekly support group meeting. They also have used the group's "loan closet" that allows patients to loan out expensive medical equipmentwhile they move through the stages of the disease.
The Erskines have also joined the ice bucket movement, saving their challenge for Tennessee's top Vol.
"We are calling out Coach Butch Jones to take the ice bucket challenge cause we are a true believer in what he's doing at Tennessee," said Bayard.
They plan on making their video Saturday.
As of Friday, the national ALS Association has received $9.5 million dollars in donations compared to about $1.6 million during the same time period last year.
