It's a bucket that sparked a viral social-media campaign and helped raise more than $50 million to fight Lou Gehrig's disease. And now it has a new home at the Smithsonian Institution.
The National Museum of American History opened an exhibit on the history of philanthropy Nov. 29, also known as Giving Tuesday. A showcase item is the blue bucket that was used to dump ice water onto Jeanette Senerchia in 2014.
The Ice Bucket Challenge was already making the rounds online, but Senerchia is believed to be the first person to tie it to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a degenerative condition also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Her husband, Anthony, has the disease.
Jeanette Senerchia was challenged to tip a bucket full of ice water over her head by her cousin, pro golfer Chris Kennedy, according to the Smithsonian.
“This was one of the first documented instances that tied the ice-bucket challenge to ALS. The challenge became a viral movement with more than 17 million participants, spreading across social media platforms and prompting financial donations toward the ALS Association,” the Smithsonian said.
Dozens of hospital executives, physicians and other healthcare executives participated in the chilling ritual, including some CEOs: Medtronic's Omar Ishrak, the Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Toby Cosgrove, Aetna's Mark Bertolini, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann.
