Re: Winter 2014/15 | Page 55

Super soaking for Macmillan Sussex It was the challenge that not only saturated its participants but also social media – and that was the idea. The Ice Bucket Challenge lasted for months and months this year and raised millions for charity across the globe. There was a time when news feeds on sites such as Facebook and Twitter were full of nothing else and staff at Mayo Wynne Baxter were more than happy to jump on the bandwagon to raise money for the firm’s chosen charity, Macmillan in Sussex. One of our trainee solicitors, Jo Ironside, used our internal communications system, Groups, to put some of our most senior members of staff on the spot, challenging them to a chilly soaking. The highest bidder got to soak the ‘victim’ of their choice and money flooded in for Macmillan, with £600 raised for the charity. On the day, chairs were lined up on an outside balcony for Chief Executive Chris Randall; Chairman Dean Orgill; Human Resources Director Clare Smith; Marketing Director Jason Edge; Finance Director David Harrison and Partner Lee Hills. Ice was put into water well in advance of the challenge to ensure it was extra cold and Jo, who got to douse Lee, poured the bucket over his head excruciatingly slowly. it was originally set up to raise money specifically for the International Alliance of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association. By Liza Laws The Ice Bucket Challenge social media campaign was initiated by Pete Frates, a former Boston College captain who is living with motor neurone disease in the US. It soon went viral and a range of charities have benefited, although 55