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50 Levindale Geriatric Center Employees Take On The Ice Bucket Challenge

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- There are some staggering numbers on the amount of money raised by all those folks pouring ice water over their heads here in Baltimore and across the country. While the Ice Bucket Challenge is fun, it is being done for a reason.

Ron Matz has more on why it was so important to one woman at a mega challenge Friday morning.

They filled their buckets. There was plenty of ice. About 50 employees at Levindale laid down the gauntlet. They were taking the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for ALS.

"We have residents here that have ALS. We have staff members who've had loved ones affected by it. We're health care people. We see it all the time. It's an opportunity for us to get out and help promote it," said Gloria Blackmon, director of nursing at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital.

One of those staff members is Ginger Saunders, a nurse at Levindale,whose husband Ian was 60 when he died of ALS.

"It's such an awful disease. To see people coming out and having fun and making money for this organization to try to find a cure means more than you'll ever know to me," Saunders said.

The challenge by Levindale turned into an ice bucket wave.

"I challenge everybody I know. It's wonderful. We are what we are, we care and we love it," said Hillary Mosser, geriatric assistant at Levindale.

"Actually I was inspired by Ethel Kennedy. When I saw her doing the challenge it just reminded me of some of the residents we have here," said Blackmon.

The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised a staggering amount of money. The ALS Association says in the past 24 days it has received nearly $42 million.

"This means so much to me. All these people coming out to make money for this disease; it's an amazing outpouring of love,"said Saunders.

The ALS Association says it has received money from more than 739,000 new donors thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge.

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