CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — WBIR Anchor Brittany Bailey is ready to get soaked.
She has signed up for the ALS Association Tennessee Chapter's CEO Soak. The event is happening at the end of the summer in Chattanooga.
She's raising funds leading up to the event. Anyone who wishes to donate can do so directly on her fundraising page.
The event was inspired by the Ice Bucket Challenge and raises funds to make ALS a livable disease and to find a cure. Participants, dressed in full work attire, will jump into a pool to get "soaked" for the event. The event will happen in Chattanooga on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Brittany has pledged her support in honor of her grandmother, Jacquelyn Esworthy, who died of ALS when Brittany was just 17 years old. She hopes to support the effort to raise awareness about the devastating disease.
ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It's a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, weakening the connection they have with the muscular system in a person's body. As a result, muscles do not get the nourishment they need to stay healthy and people may lose the ability to control them.
Specifically, ALS affects motor neurons in a person's body. As those neurons die, the brain effectively loses its ability to initiate and control movement, according to the ALS Association. Over time, people lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe -- eventually leading to their death.
For around 90% of all cases, there's no known family history of the disease or the presence of a genetic mutation. In essence, the cause of ALS is unknown.