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2w ago

Ice Bucket Challenge Revived for Youth Mental Health, Raising Over $320K. University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina students launched the #SpeakYourMIND campaign to honor a peer lost to suicide, with funds directed to Active Minds and support from the ALS Association.

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A screenshot from TikTok of the MIND team (University of South Carolina’s Mental Illness Needs Discussion club) participating in the SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge.

Overview

  • The #SpeakYourMIND Ice Bucket Challenge, launched by USC's MIND Club on March 31, has raised over $321,000 for youth mental health as of April 24, 2025.
  • The campaign mirrors the 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge with participants recording videos, nominating others, donating, and sharing with the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND.
  • The initiative honors a USC student who died by suicide and aims to support Active Minds, a nonprofit focused on youth mental health advocacy and suicide prevention.
  • Celebrity participation, including Peyton and Eli Manning and influencers like James Charles, has helped drive the campaign's virality, particularly among teens on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
  • While widely praised, some critics question whether the revival dilutes the original ALS-focused mission, despite official endorsement from the ALS Association.