The bucket was the way to go for Lebanon’s water crisis Friday, as more celebrities took up the ice bucket challenge and others declined their nomination.
“I would like to tell everyone who nominated me for the Ice Bucket Challenge to withdraw the nomination,” Lebanese pop icon Nancy Ajram said. “I would rather donate instead, that way I’ll be relieved.”
Haifa Wehbe took a more daring stand, being doused in three buckets of water with the help of two friends.
“I would like to nominate Rihanna, Bassam Fattouh and Tarik Freitekh,” she said before going off in to a sonic pitch at the touch of cold water.
The ALS ice bucket challenge is the latest social media frenzy in the name of charity that gives those nominated 24 hours to respond - either by filming themselves dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads and passing on their nomination or instead donating to the ALS Association in the United States.
The challenge began as a viral fundraising campaign by the ALS Association, with those refusing the challenge being told to donate to the charity instead. However, it has since evolved to most nominees donating to the charity regardless of whether they participate in the challenge.
According to the ALS Association, "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as 'Lou Gehrig's Disease,' is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord."
So far, the campaign seems to be successful in raising funds with the ALS Association saying that as of Wednesday they had received $31.5 million in donations compared to $1.9 million during the same time period last year.
A group of young Lebanese filmed a reinterpretation of the challenge, focusing out of ALS, and zooming deeper in to a problem that is a little closer to home.
Under the title, “Ice Bucket Challenge ONLY IN LEBANON,” eight people launch an animated countdown before upturning what turns out to be empty buckets.
“#MAFIMAY”- Arabic for “#ThereIsNoWater” - then appears on the screen after a humorous cricket chirping silence.
The ice bucket trend has also sparked up in Lebanon’s resteraunts and cafes, as Tripoli’s Al-Hallab sweets shop lined up its entire staff to film the challenge.
The prominent Arabic sweets shop nominated Roadster Diner, Zaatar w Zeit and Crepaway to follow suit.
Indigenous to the ice bucket, Almaza took its own spin on the latest challenge.
“The ice bucket no one can challenge,” read Almaza’s latest ad, with the hash-tag “#IceBucketChallenge” printed below the headline.
Watch the VIDEO here!
