Prior to this ice bucket challenge going around the Internet, I have to admit I wasn’t really aware of ALS or Amyothropic Lateral Sclerosis.
Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—named after the legendary baseball player who was diagnosed back in 1939—ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, leading to death.
Other known ALS sufferers were Morrie Schwartz, who was the subject of the book Tuesdays With Morrie, and physicist Stephen Hawking, who is living at 72.
L-R: Lou Gehrig, Stephen Hawking, Tuesdays with Morrie book cover, Morrie Schwartz
“Local versions of the #ALSicebucketchallenge have been popping up on my feed,” lamented my friend Grace. “Is there a Philippine-based Lou Gehrig’s disease foundation? Because I think it becomes a useless exercise if one just douses themselves with ice water and does not actually donate to a local ALS foundation.”
One Filipino who heeded the worldwide call to raise funds in the fight against ALS is Megaworld chair Dr. Andrew L. Tan, who took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge as well as making a substantial donation in US dollars. Dr. Tan’s participation was proactive and voluntary on his part.
Following tradition of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Dr. Tan nominated three personalities from the business sector to do the same: Dr. Steven DeKrey, president of Asian Insititute of Management; Mr. Manolito Tayag, country head of Accenture Philippines; and Kenneth Yang, president of Golden Arches Development Corporation (McDonald’s Philippines).
Dr. Tan is the chairman and CEO of Megaworld, one of the Philippines’ largest real estate developers and the country’s leader in business process outsourcing (BPO) office developments.
