'Ice Bucket Challenge' Attempts To Break US Guinness Record In Central Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Last year at this time, the Internet was on fire -- with ice.
Videos of the "Ice Bucket Challenge" were everywhere. On Saturday, the social media campaign made a huge comeback in Central Park.
As CBS2's Ilana Gold reports, hundreds of people cooled off for a good cause.
Their goal? To raise money and beat the world record.
They believe they beat the U.S. Guinness record with 495 people doing the challenge but it did not break the world record of 782 people in China.
"It was awesome -- I didn't think I would enjoy it so much," Tyrone Bell said.
More importantly, the crowds were there to raise $120,000 for ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Amanda Duran lost her father to ALS in 2007. He was only 46.
"Seeing my father deteriorate and become paralyzed from the disease was the worst thing in my life," Duran said. "We're just hoping no other family has to go through this hoping to find a cure soon."
But finding a cure comes at a cost.
"It costs a billion dollar to bring a drug to market for a treatment and we don't have a treatment for ALS," said Dorine Gordon, CEO of ALS Association Greater NY Chapter.
That's why so many people showed up to promote awareness. Including former Yankee greats Mickey Rivers and Buckey Dent.
"We lost 2 Yankees -- Lou Gehrig and Catfish Hutter was our teammate," Dent said.
"It's a big honor for us to come out here," Rivers said.
They hope to start another global social media phenomenon like the one that took off last August.
Organizers of the event say they're going to send the number of participants and proof to the Guinness Book of World Records and should know if they beat the record in the next few months.
