ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Comes to Mesa College

Pamela Luster

The viral sensation ALS ice bucket challenge has come to a community college near you. San Diego Mesa College President Pamela T. Luster and Athletics Director Dave Evens are set to accept the chilly challenge on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. on the lawn in front of the college’s Learning Resource Center (LRC), cheered on by students attending their first week of classes.

The challenge came from Pasadena City College Athletic Director Tony "Bones" Barbone, who got dunked on Monday, August 18. Barbone challenged all community college athletic directors in California for the Ice Bucket Challenge benefiting alsa.org.

Evans gladly stepped up to the challenge, along with Luster, who serves on the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Board, which is the governing body responsible for oversight of intercollegiate athletics at California
community colleges.

In addition to making a donation to ALS, Luster is expected to pay forward the challenge to every member of the CCCAA board, which includes 15 presidents and administrators of California community colleges.

“We at Mesa are proud to join in the fight against ALS, and to raise awareness of the disease amongst our student athletes and campus community,” said Luster about getting a bucket of ice water poured on her head. The college has one of the largest athletics programs in the region, with approximately 450 student athletes, and 20 male and female athletic teams.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease at the center of the ice bucket challenge. It is considered a rare disease, affecting an estimated two in every 100,000 Americans each year, according to the ALS Association. Some studies suggest that athletes and especially football players were four times more likely to die from the disease.

NOTE: The ice bucket challenge will be held on a small patch of hungry lawn; no water wasted! The video will be posted to the college’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/SDMesaCollege.