Ice Bucket Challenge Has Raised Over $5.5 Million to Fight ALS in Two Weeks

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — In just two weeks, the Ice Bucket Challenge has raised more than $5.5 million dollars to battle ALS.

The ALS Association says that it, along with its 38 chapters, have received $5.7 million in donations since July 29. That figure far surpasses the $1.2 million during the same two-week time period last year. Donations have come from both existing donors and nearly 107,000 new donors.

The ALS Association says that only about half of the general public is knowledgeable about ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. According to Barbara Newhouse, president and CEO of the ALS Association, the monetary donations have been “incredible,” but “the visibility that this disease is getting as a result of the challenge is truly invaluable.”

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