A large number of Ticketmaster Australasia employees have shivered through the icy southern hemisphere winter in order to fulfill the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Following a nomination from Live Nation Entertainment President and CEO Michael Rapino, many employees from Australia and New Zealand have completed the challenge, which involves tipping a bucket of icy water over your head. Below we have compiled a video to show how many of our plucky staff members have already taken the Ice Bucket Challenge.
The challenge is designed to raise awareness and funds for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is known as motor neurone disease (MND) in Australia and New Zealand. MND Australia estimates around 1900 Australians are afflicted with MND and the ALS Association suggests as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any one time. The Motor Neurone Disease Association of New Zealand adds there is approximately 300 people living in New Zealand suffering from MND.
MND Australia says the average life expectancy is just 27 months for a person diagnosed with the disease. The numbers are scary and it highlights the importance of raising awareness and money to ensure research can continue to find a treatment and cure.
The Ice Bucket Challenge has become a worldwide craze with many celebrities taking the challenge, including Oprah, Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, Andy Murray, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sir Richard Branson and Lady Gaga, who nominated Michael Rapino.
Ticketmaster strongly supports philanthropic causes and we encourage people to take the Ice Bucket Challenge or donate to MND Association, New Zealand in order to support the great work of the organisation. We’d like to congratulate all staff members who have taken the challenge so far and encourage more people to do so. Live Nation Entertainment has agreed to donate $100 for every LNE or Ticketmaster staff member who takes the challenge up to $50,000, with Michael Rapino personally matching the $100 donation for the first 100 people to take up the challenge.
Please watch the video and share it with your friends. Or better yet, take the challenge yourself and make sure you post it via your social channels to continue to raise awareness of ALS/MND.
And if you can, please make a much-needed donation. Click here to donate to MND Australia or click here to donate to MND Association of New Zealand Inc.
