By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Both the Ellis County Emergency Medical Services and the Hays Police Department are stepping up to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge issued Monday by the Hays Fire Department.

Approximately 16 off-duty Ellis County EMS employees gathered at Orscheln Farm and Home Store on Thursday morning to accept the challenge, and each will be donating money to the ALS Association.

The water used by EMS crew, which was standing inside a livestock watering tub, is being recycled by Orscheln.

The Hays Police Department will take their ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Friday morning at 11:10 a.m. in front of Hays High School, where high school students will do the honors of throwing the ice water on the officers.

The public is invited to attend.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has become a nationwide trend and is a fundraiser for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. As of Thursday, more than $41 million has been raised for ALS research in three weeks as a result of the Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon.