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Eric Bernsee
A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri, Eric Bernsee has enjoyed residing in Greencastle for more than 25 years. Years of consuming McDonald's iced teas, Dairy Castle flurries and Marvin's GCBs have helped make him the man he is today.
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Ice Bucket Challenge? I think I know how this ends ...

Posted Friday, August 22, 2014, at 2:11 PM

Well, you knew it had to happen sooner or later ...

Yep, I've been challenged to take part in the Ice Bucket Challenge, the ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) fundraiser that has gone virally berserk in recent days.

Greencastle High School football coaches did it (my khakis suffered collateral damage during that event, by the way).

Myers' Market personnel have taken the plunge.

And Thursday night several Greencastle City Police officers took part.

That's when Sgt. Charles Inman called me out, along with reporter Lauren Boucher, challenging us to dump a bucket of ice water over our heads in the name of charity.

Yay, like I'm going to do that ...

Chicken? Heck, yay, I'm a chicken.

It is here where I must invoke the sad, sad story of former NFL coach George Allen.

Long after his glory days with the Washington Redskins (we can still call them that, right?), Allen took over the Long Beach State football program. And after guiding the team to a winning season in 1990, players celebrated a season-ending victory by dumping a cooler of ice water (the program couldn't afford Gatorade, Allen had joked) on their 72-year-old coach.

Enduring the wet and cold to talk at length to the media, the drenched Allen contracted pneumonia and died (ventricular fibrillation was the official cause).

Granted, a bucket of ice water probably isn't going to kill me.

But then why do I feel like the Sundance Kid when he tells Butch Cassidy he can't swim?

"Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill you," is his partner's response.

Hey, I know my track record. Earlier this week I got one of those caramel frappes at McDonald's. I'd barely left the parking lot when a gulp of the frigid liquid produced an ice cream headache in my chest. I thought I was going to need the heart paddles, properly warmed first, please.

I mean, come on, a guy knows his limitations. That's why you'll never see me stumbling around on two leaden left feet trying to pretend I'm enjoying Dancing with the Stars. No siree, Bob or Skip.

Maybe the Popcorn Bucket Challenge or the Wine Bucket Challenge or the McDonald's Iced Tea Challenge might make me change my mind.

But for now I have a multitude of reasons not to accept.

Hello ... I've seen "Titanic," thank you. Iceberg, straight ahead .... Too late!

Besides I get swimmer's ear.

And I don't want to get my hair wet.

Ice water isn't a good thing for a silk tie after all.

And then there's shrinkage ... Settle down, settle down, I'm talking about my dress shirts.

So yay, I have to say thanks, Sgt. Skip, but no thanks.

My check to ALS is in the mail.

Unless, of course, you could make co-workers Jared Jernagan, Kyle Hollinger, Jay Lockett and Daryl Taylor join me and Lauren ...

Then it just might be worth finding out how old and cold George Allen felt.

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  • I'm with you Eric! And I did hear on the radio that doing the ice challenge could actually could cause you to have a heart attack. I would just write the check-wouldn't care if they called me chicken or not!

    -- Posted by interested party on Mon, Aug 25, 2014, at 2:17 PM

  • With my amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the first thing that happened almost 2 years ago now, was speaking as if I were drunk. I wasn't. I initially did improve speech (articulating clearly but slow) but now I can no longer speak in an acceptable way. Then, a year later eating became problematic, I was biting my tongue and lips, and chewing became weak and less controlled. Soon after that some fingers started to fail me and things would drop out of my hands. Somewhere at that time bulbar ALS was diagnosed. The Rilutek (riluzole) did very little to help me. The medical team did even less. My decline was rapid and devastating.. We tried every shot available but nothing was working. There has been little if any progress in finding a reliable treatment, Our care provider introduced us to Kycuyu Health Clinic ALS/MND herbal treatment. The treatment is a miracle.i recovered significantly! Visit www. kycuyuhealthclinic. com

    -- Posted by merciestewart on Sat, Mar 19, 2022, at 12:06 PM

  • Hope this is allowed here if not I understand. My husband was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) when he was 63 years old 4 years ago. The Rilutek (riluzole) did very little to help him. The medical team did even less. His decline was rapid and devastating. His arms weakened first, then his hands and legs. He resorted to a wheelchair (Perbombil C300). A year ago, I began to do a lot of research and came across www Health Herbs Clinic com, I decided to start him on the ALS herbal protocol as I had nothing else to turn to; 2 months into treatment he improved dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of dementia, hallucination, weakness, muscle pain and he is even learning to Walk again. visit healthherbsclinic com

    -- Posted by quaylelaurah on Sun, Jul 10, 2022, at 6:16 AM

  • My grandma has Lou Gehrig’s disease, she is about 75 years old it was diagnosed 2 years ago. Right now it’s getting more difficult to live for her, because of stiff muscles she can’t even move. Riluzole and Edaravone medicines are given, but won"t give much relief. She can"t eat food without choking. I thought this might be the last stage and the medications she was given did not help at all, so I started to do alot of research on natural treatments, I was introduced to Health Natural Centre and their ALS Herbal Protocol. She started on the ALS/MND Treatment last year, her symptoms gradually diminished including her vocal cord spasm, Body Weakness and Difficulty with swallowing. Reach them at healthnaturalcentre.org , She is getting active again since starting this treatment, she is able to walk again ( down the street and back )she have also resumed exercising to strengthen muscles!! God Bless all ALS Caregivers. Stay Strong, take small moments throughout the day to thank yourself, to love your self, and pray to whatever faith, star, spiritual force you believe in and ask for strength. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you.

    -- Posted by veronicamckaall on Sun, Mar 5, 2023, at 3:43 AM

  • My husband who had been diagnosed with Bulbar ALS disease for 2 years at the age of 63 had all his symptoms reversed with Ayurveda medicine from naturalherbscentre.com after undergoing their ALS/MND natural protocol, he no longer requires a feeding tube. God Bless all Lou Gehrig’s disease Caregivers. Stay Strong, take small moments throughout the day to thank yourself, to love your self, and pray to whatever faith, star, spiritual force you believe in and ask for strength. I can personally vouch for these remedy but you would probably need to decide what works best for you.

    -- Posted by amnylarder on Tue, May 16, 2023, at 3:32 PM
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