CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A father with ALS challenged his favorite football player, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, to the Ice Bucket Challenge. Steve Broas, 50, nominated the two-time Super Bowl champion moments before getting a bucket of ice water dumped on his own head.
Broas, who uses a computer to communicate, thanked the thousands of people who have donated to the ALS Association since the Ice Bucket Challenge launched last month. Between July 29 and August 13, the ALS Association has raised nearly $6 million. Last year, during the same time period, the association raised $1.2 million.
Broas is a New Jersey native diagnosed with ALS nearly two years ago.
"He thought it was cool and funny," his wife Wynne said when asked about her husband's reaction to the challenge. "Abby [his daughter] asked him one time and he said yes."
Abby Broas, a 19-year-old JMU student, used social media to get the word out to Manning.
Manning quickly moved to participate in the social media phenomenon, and he took the challenge along with New York Giants Coach Tom Coughlin, and GM Jerry Reese.
According to the Giants' website, Manning said he wasn’t surprised when he was challenged. "I figured it was going to happen sometime, it was just a matter of time.”
“I was nominated by one of my biggest fans, Steve Broas, who has ALS,” Manning said in the video that posted on the New York Giants website. “Steve, I’m doing this for you. I’m going to accept this ice bucket challenge and afterwards I’d like to nominate a couple former players – Shaun O’Hara and Dave Diehl - to do the ice bucket challenge. Again, Steve, this is for you.”
Well done Mr. Manning!
