A bucket of icy water for the dean

Even though the sun was shining, the Dean Allan Flyvbjerg ended up shivering when he took the Ice Bucket Challenge on Monday and had a large bucket of ice-cold water poured over himself.

"Of course I’ve accepted the challenge to support the treatment of ALS but also to make a political statement about how there must be greater health policy and research policy focus on small and rare diseases," says Allan Flyvbjerg of the challenge.

The dean had been challenged by the Chairman of the Danish Medical Association Mads Koch Hansen, who had in turn been challenged by the Minister for Health Nick Hækkerup. After his ice-cold shower Allan Flyvbjerg challenged the chairman of the Organisation of Danish Medical Societies Peter Schwarz, and the Managing Director of the Danish Patients organisation, Morten Freil.

The Ice Bucket Challenge has become a viral phenomenon that is flourishing on social media. Here both well-known and ordinary people challenge each other to have a bucket of ice-cold water poured over them. Failure to accept the challenge means you have to donate 100 dollars to the ALS Association. But if you accept the challenge you only have to donate 10 dollars – and you get an ice-cold experience!

The ALS Association seeks to use research and education to help ALS patients and their relatives get through the disease, which slowly paralyses the whole body. Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Christiano Ronaldo and George W. Bush are just a few of the well-known people who have accepted the challenge.

Watch the video where the dean takes the icy challenge: Flyvbjerg’s Ice Bucket Challenge