ALCS bucket challenge ensnares Houston secondary faculty

HOUSTON — Wasilla High and Wasilla Middle schools, consider the gauntlet thrown.

Faculty and staff from Houston High School and Houston Middle School took the ubiquitous ALS ice bucket challenge to new heights locally Thursday, with a little help from the city’s Mayor. Instead of the familiar format of ice, water, and bucket, fire trucks sprayed teachers and staff on the lawn in front of the middle school.

After staff at Big Lake Elementary School challenged the staff at the middle school, members of Houston High School staff decided to join in and do both faculties in one fell swoop as school buses full of homeward-bound students passed.

Mayor Virgie Thompson works as a class assistant at the middle school, and arranged for the fire department to help out, according to Houston Middle School Principal Ben Howard.

“Virgie Thompson organized it for us, but I think other large groups have done it that way,” he said. “It’s the easiest way to get a lot of people wet.”

They were on hand with pumper trucks to assist.

Principals from either school recorded a brief video on Smartphones laying out the challenge to the Wasilla secondary schools.

The popular fundraiser, which has raised almost $100 million since its inception in late July, has seen celebrities and national figures participate to raise money to fund research to cure amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Thompson, who joined about 15 people on the lawn, said she thought the inconvenience was worth it.

“It’s just for a good cause,” she said.

And how does it feel to do the right thing?

“Awesome!” she spluttered moments after completing the challenge. “Wet! Very wet!”