The Ice Bucket Challenge has been going around on the web to raise money for ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s disease). The rules are simple: donate money to the ALS Association or film yourself dumping a bucket of ice water on your head while challenging your friends to do the same (most people do both). Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos called upon three Star Trek celebs: William Shatner, Patrick Stewart (still waiting on you, captain!), and George Takei. That gave way to more Trek celebs such as Brent Spiner and Gates McFadden. See their amazing reactions below.
Jeff Bezos Challenges Shatner, Stewart, and Takei to take the Ice Bucket Challenge
Last Friday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS research at an all-hands meeting in Seattle. That was when he brought Trek into the fold by challenging his childhood heroes Captain Kirk, Captain Picard, and Mr. Sulu. Check out his challenge below (skip to 2:52 for the Trekness):
Jeff Bezos challenges Shatner, Stewart, and Takei
William Shatner and George Takei rise to the challenge
Just a day later, William Shatner dumped a bucket of ice water on his head and donated to ALS:
He also challenged Dancing With the Stars host Tom Bergeron, country music star Wynonna Judd, and singer Josh Groban.
OK @BradPaisley challenge accepted! I now challenge @Tom_Bergeron, @WynonnaMusic & @joshgroban MBB
#StrikeOutALS … http://t.co/2J8VoWZCF8
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) August 16, 2014
Shortly thereafter, George Takei followed on with this video, also calling out Buzz Aldrin, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Sir Ian McKellen.
Brent Spiner accepts the challenge, nominates Gates McFadden
More Star Trek celebs joined in on the fun when Brent Spiner accepted Ramon de Ocampo’s challenge. In his video, Spiner called upon Trek celeb Armin Shimmerman and his wife Kitty Swink as well as his friend Gates McFadden.
Gates answered the call after posting this tweet to Brent:
I AM ACCEPTING THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE FROM MY SOON T9 BE EX-FRIEND @BrentSpiner http://t.co/DVudte3tsC #icebucketchallege
— Gates McFadden (@gates_mcfadden) August 17, 2014
Gates, whose father died of ALS, dons a blonde wig and a French accent for her video so that Brent can see her with her hair wet. She challenged actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar, actor/director Larry Moss, and once again calls out Sir Patrick Stewart, “because I just want to see what you look like with your hair wet.”
Who will be next?
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has been a huge success and has raised over $22.9 Million so far. Take the challenge, donate, and then call upon your friends! Who wants to take the Trekkie Ice Bucket Challenge and do it in costume?
Nobly done, sirs and madame.
It seems that this ice bucket challenge has gone global. It is happening in a number of countries and people are taking the ice bucket challenge to raise money for local charities. I saw it covered on the TV news recently. People are doing it here (in the winter) to raise money for the Cancer Society and have raised more than NZ$126,000 so far.
Pretty cool…I mean, icy cold…[shivers]
Curiously, for as long as I can remember, a form of cold bucket dunking has been done every year at my daughter’s school fair to help raise money for the school. The teachers would receive cold water dropped on them for a height. They would often end up drenched. The idea was to throw/aim a ball to hit a mechanism which would cause the full bucket of water to tip over the person sitting beneath. Every time it happened, more money was raised. It seems that her school has been doing this…*forever*
I wouod like someone to DUMP cold hard cash on me. Screw the water !
Ok. I posted a Video I just took of the Icebucket challenge. Ok Guys. Your turn.
“She challenged actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar, actor/director Larry Moss, and once again calls out Sir Patrick Stewart”
Nice grammar.
#4 – Is your video on youtube but how do we know which one is you?
How does having cold water dropped on you raise money? Does the person dropping the water on you have to pay to the charity and/or do you? Has that happened yet? Just curious…
What was the temperature when you did it, btw? Today Auckland has a high of 59 degrees F, ie 15 degrees C, not bad, but a little on the cool side when you are outside which is where I would be doing it…perhaps…
#6. I am the only one in the video and I am directly challenging the ones I want.
My facebook is mrmike1884. So. Let’s see what the guys do.
You know what makes this so cool for me? Each of these actors is stepping out of the beloved character we’re so used to seeing them playing and we get to see them as regular people, pitching in for a good cause, reacting just like all of us getting dunked with very cold water, and having a good time. I love this!
One more note: in that short clip of George as the captain…the intense look on his face, the ship in the background…did any of you get that inkling again that he would make SUCH an awesome captain? Dang it! Get him in a movie!
Nice!!
I’m happy to see that all of these celebs did the proper ice bucket challenge—with plenty of ice—as opposed to what might as well be lukewarm water, as I’ve seen so many of my friends doing on fb.
Brent Spiner is the champ so far in terms of amount of ice used.
But, the champ in terms of Creative Concept for an Ice Bucket Challenge Acceptance has got to be: http://uproxx.com/music/2014/08/dave-grohl-ice-bucket-challenge-foo-fighters/
Honorable mention: George Takei’s STVI homage.
#6 Keachick, as far as I understand it, the challenge is this: either donate $100 or dump the ice bucket on yourself and donate $10. Most celebrities are donating the full amount or more.
The numbers vary–it’s like a big game of “telephone” where the original message evolves as it goes around.
Pretty much on the honor system, Rose, but is seems to be working. The ALS Association reports that, typically, they will raise about 1.5-2MM for this time period in the year. Since this ice bucket thing started, they are at least 10MM above that, and apparently it’s all small donations, so it seems to be working.
Haw – Gates wants to see Sir Pat with his hair wet.
Prolly looks much the same as it does when it’s dry.
Maybe Sulu can cool off now.
Sir Patrick, I believe the phrase goes “make it so”!
#12 – Thank you. I checked up what the conditions for donating to the NZ Cancer Society and it is the same.
So much better than a set-yourself-on-fire-challenge (which I read seriously exists!)
I’m still hoping these celebrities are donating too. It is great PR, but…
Although, I am happy to hear that donations are up this month.
Someone should call out boborci. I love seeing all my fav trek peeps get buckets of ice water dumped on them. Might be the most honest you can ever really see somebody. Brings the shields down, so to speak.
Oh, and it’s incredible how beautiful Gates still looks!
JJ Abrams excepted the ALS :Ice bucket Challenge, with ice water dumped on him three times by his kids.
http://youtu.be/kdIBsbxEZ1M
Please, somebody challenge Chase Masterson!
In a T-shirt!
LeVar Burton did the challenge, and also was the one who nominated Brent Spiner: http://www.mobypicture.com/user/levarburton/view/17194158
Kirstie Alley (Saavik) also did the challenge, being nominated by Wynonna Judd, who was nominated by William Shatner: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152398232573740&set=vb.105794788739&type=2&theater
Also you should count Benedict Cumberbatch, who did this hilarious contribution to the challenge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOa7ZjxRuKM
And of course, Patrick Stewart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkO4NIqAMss
I must second #22 Eclectrek’s suggestion.
Love Cumberbatch’s Ice Bucket challenge – so icy cool!
Patrick Stewart – what? LOL!
Stewart’s is the best.
I just did the ice bucket challenge…though I was going to do the boiling tea pot challenge and donate to the Metro Hospital burn center…
my boss talked me out of it suggesting others would do it after watching. Really?