The funny thing about people is that we have a very short attention span. It was only a few months ago that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge absolutely dominated all of the Internet. People couldn’t dump cold water on themselves fast enough. Everyone from 4-year-olds to your nana was swept up in the viral phenomenon that raised needed funds to help find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
By mid-August Mark Zuckerberg to Martha Stewart had done the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and reached peak viral level. Kind and generous people donated $26.3 million in the month of August, approximately four-times the annual amount.
However by September the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos dried up completely. When is the last time you even heard about someone talking about ALS?
ABC 11 news reporter Larry Stogner was one of the millions that took part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. However the veteran reporter didn’t realize the importance of the cause until recently.
The 68-year-old Stonger announced that he was retiring after 40 years of broadcasting on ABC’s North Carolina station WTVD, not because of old age but because he has ALS.
Stonger boldly went on live television to tell his audience:
“For nearly four decades, I’ve met you right here, usually at 6. Boy, we’ve seen a lot of change over those years. But, we have to stop meeting this way. As it turns out, I have ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”
Godspeed to Larry Stonger and let’s hope a cure comes soon.