The trendy ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is still going strong, and it seems like more and more celebrities are participating with each passing day. But Pamela Anderson is bucking the trend by refusing to participate.
Some may be surprised and confused by Anderson’s refusal to take part in this viral trend that is supposed to raise awareness and donations for the ALS Association to help find a cure for ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. After all, the former "Baywatch" babe is no stranger to a wet T-shirt. But the star’s refusal has nothing to do with her T-shirt, her hair or the inconvenience of recording a video of someone dumping a bucket of ice water over her head.
Anderson refused the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge because she is a strong advocate for animal rights. That’s admirable, of course. But what does the Ice Bucket Challenge have to do with animals? She explains in a Facebook post from Wednesday, August 20, that the ALS Association conducts animal testing. And, in turning down the Ice Bucket Challenge, Anderson challenges the ALS Association to stop animal testing.
She points out that animal experiments conducted in the hope of finding an ALS cure in humans have been fruitless. So, instead, she suggests supporting "charities that never harm animals and which pour their time and resources into advanced, promising, human-relevant cures."
Anderson operates a non-profit organization, The Pamela Anderson Foundation, which “supports organizations and individuals that stand on the front lines in the protection of human, animal, and environmental rights.” She was named Person of the Year by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) UK in 2010, and she regularly participates in PETA campaigns. She has also been extremely vocal in recent years in the effort to ban carriage horses in New York City.
As of Friday, August 22, the ALS Association reports that the Ice Bucket Challenge has generated more than $53 million in donations. But just how successful the campaign has been at raising awareness about the disease is unclear. It’s likely that the majority of the people who have participated in this viral trend still don’t know what the letters in ALS stand for.
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