During the summer of 2014, the viral sensation known as the ice-bucket challenge soaked the nation. The inescapable trend grew out of a fun and heartfelt effort to fund research to combat ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Social media was filled hourly with both regular folks and super celebrities dousing one another with ice cold agua, as people kept tagging others to challenge them to participate.
Celebs like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Gates, Matt Damon, Mark Zuckerberg, LeBron James, Victoria Beckham, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey and more got soaked — and the ALS raised millions for research as a result.
Since then, plenty of causes have tried to duplicate the sensation, with less impressive results.
Yet the tag-and-challenge technique remains available — and the Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin is putting it to use after recovering from the heart episode he famously suffered during a televised NFL game.
Teaming up with @american_heart in a BIG way!
— 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) February 1, 2023
The Damar Hamlin 3 for Heart challenge is live! 3 easy steps to save a life❤️ @tombrady, @michelleobama, and @kingjames you’ve all been challenged!
Throw them 🫶 's up! #3forHeart https://t.co/yn8l8mLT7E pic.twitter.com/FMEr8klEDr
Teaming up with the American Heart Association, Hamlin is trying to jumpstart an ice-bucket-challenge-like viral surge to educate people on CPR, a resuscitation technique that can save lives — as Hamlin knows. His own life was saved by the quick actions of the professionals who administered CPR to him at just the right moment.
For a start, Hamlin picked three GIANT names in American culture: former First Lady Michelle Obama (currently promoting her book The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times), newly retired NFL superstar Tom Brady (currently promoting his movie 80 For Brady) and never-going-to-retire LeBron James (currently promoting the Lakers playoff hopes).
If those three tag three more — maybe Gronk and Barack to start?– and Hamlin will be on the road to better heartbeats.
