ALS

First off..
...these ice bucket challenges that are all over the media are not so much about raising donations and curing ALS, but giving exposure to the donators in a narcissistic way.

Who wants to make a self-less gesture and have nothing to show their friends and peers but a tiny pin or laudatory letter?(sarcasm)

Second...
...you don't own your unfortunate illness. It's not who you are so don't make your friends define you by it and don't make them choose their philanthropic contributions according to friendship status.

Third...
welcome to A2K...we're glad you're here.

Talk to your friends. They have been swept up in the media hype of this challenge like so many others.

I'm pretty sure your friends don't go through life thinking of you as their friend who has MS, but just as their friend. They are human and we have a tendency of falling into complacency and not always thinking about the obvious because we have gotten used to it. Maybe you and them could put together the next big viral challenge to raise money and awareness for MS. Instead of being upset AT them talk TO them.

I am always confused about why people get upset when something happens to bring the spotlight around to a cause. Sure, in a perfect world everyone would care about everything and all diseases would get fair and equal notice and funding, but that is just not how it works. I'm not saying each R&D team should turn themselves into a 3 ring circus to get funding, but the everyday person will not and can not pay equal attention to all the worthy causes out there. The same thing happened when Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Suddenly there were fundraisers and add campaigns EVERYWHERE and everyone jumped on that band wagon too. Then the comments like "Yeah, now that a celebrity has it it is suddenly cool. Where was all this publicity a decade ago?" While I can understand the sentiment, instead of being bitter about it, celebrate the fact that the ship has come in and do what you can to get as much funding as possible.

Well said.