Costa Rica star striker Joel Campbell takes Ice Bucket Challenge

Joel Campbell, 22, joined in on the viral phenomenon known as the Ice Bucket Challenge, a fundraiser for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).* 

Campbell, a talented Tico forward who will star for Costa Rica in next month’s Central America Cup, let out a yelp as a couple of helpers dumped (allegedly) freezing cold water on to his head.  The Arsenal striker called on his La Sele teammate Yeltsin Tejeda to step up to the challenge next.

While, according to the daily La Nación, Campbell did the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money for the ALS Association. Other Ticos, including Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton, have done an Ice Bucket Challenge for the benefit of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation of Costa Rica as an ice bath has proven to be a successful way to galvanize fundraisers.

Celebrities have played an enormous role in the ALS campaign’s viral success. Participants include Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ben Affleck.

“Thor” actor Chris Hemsworth took part in the challenge last week while on vacation in Costa Rica.

Nominees have 24 hours to complete the challenge or donate money to the ALS Association (although celebrities usually, and appropriately, do both).

Some 1.7 million donors have combined to raise almost $80 million to fight the neuromuscular disease, according to Time magazine,

The ALS Association has raised $79.7 million to combat Lou Gehrig’s Disease since July 29, as the Ice Bucket Challenge continues to encourage people around the world to dump ice over their heads and send in money.

The organization raised just $2.5 million during the same period last year [and $64 million in all of 2013].