If you've had any presence on social media in the last few weeks, you've seen countless videos of people dumping ice water over their heads in the name of raising awareness for ALS. You've seen many shocked faces when the ice water falls on them, you've heard many girlish screams, you've probably even seen screenshots of people declining the challenge and donating their 100 dollars. And you've also probably seen several articles about why people should stop doing the ice bucket challenge. 

My question to those people is "Why?"

I have seen two main arguments against the Ice Bucket Challenge. The first being that dumping water on your head does not make you a philanthropist. Of course it doesn't. But it is helping a good cause. Even if people are using it more for self gratification than for altruistically giving to a cause, it has still raised so much money. So what if people aren't doing it for the right reasons? Money is still being raised at an astounding rate and more research will be done to help people suffering from this horrible disease.

According to TIME, the challenge has raised over 15 million dollars. 15 MILLION. By this time last year, only 1.7 million had been raised. So say what you will about the Ice Bucket Challenge not being philanthropic, but the numbers don't lie. This fundraiser is working.

The second argument that's been floating around is that it's wasting water. This is true. And for the people living in horrible droughts, I can understand that. But for the majority of people doing the Ice Bucket Challenge, water just isn't a concern. I don't mean to come off as insensitive, but water would be wasted regardless, so it might as well be for a good cause.  Think about the number of swimming pools in any given midwestern suburb, yet no one has complained about swimming pools wasting water. 

The bottom line is that this charity is doing amazing things for people suffering with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and regardless of if people are doing it more for Facebook "likes" and less for wanting to help others, the Ice Bucket Challenge works. One of my Facebook friends (and awesome cousin), Nick Wilkes said it best in his video, "I'd just like to make a point, this isn't an OR situation. We shouldn't be dumping water on our heads OR donating 100 dollars.We should be donating to the organization anyway." I think if everyone took his advice, all the critics would have nothing left to say. I'm all for going against the crowd, but when it comes to helping a charity, we all might as well just go along with it.