By john Celock
The Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Kansas is challenging an entire middle school to join him in taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Democratic nominee Paul Davis made the challenge in a video he posted Wednesday, where he took the challenge. Davis, the House minority leader, took the challenge from a friend, Evan Ice, who suffers from ALS and joined Davis in the video. Gov. Sam Brownback (R), who is seeking a second term, took the challenge last week.
“I was thrilled to be able to accept his challenge,” Davis said of being challenged by Ice. “ALS is a very tough disease and it is great there is so much awareness being raised with this ice bucket challenged.”
Ice also joined University of Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self on Wednesday when Self took the ice bucket challenge.
Davis, who also donated to an ALS charity, passed the challenge on to the students and staff of West Middle School in Lawrence, Ks. Davis is an alumnus of West Middle School.
The Democrat used the video to highlight the need to raise awareness of diseases, including Parkinson’s Disease. Davis’ father has Parkinson’s and the minority leader wears a blue bracelet to raise awareness of the illness.
Davis and Brownback are not the first Kansas politicians to have taken the ice bucket challenge, which has gone viral on social media in recent weeks. Among those who have also taken the challenge are Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer (R), U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R), state Rep. Jim Ward (D-Wichita), state Rep. Brandon Whipple (D-Wichita), state Rep. J.R. Claeys (R-Salina), state Rep. Brett Hildabrand (R-Shawnee), state Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady (R-Palco) and Smith Center Mayor Trey Joy (R).