St. Norbert College President, Coach and Priest to be Doused for Ice Bucket Challenge

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From St. Norbert College, August 20, 2014
by Erich Wegenke, erich.wegenke@snc.edu, 920-403-3089

The president of St. Norbert College, the college's head men's hockey coach and the Prior of the Canonry of St. Norbert Abbey will face a deluge of ice water for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Monday. President Tom Kunkel, coach Tim Coghlin and Rev. Jim Baraniak will undertake the popular challenge during the start-of-year ice cream social, which will take place at 3 p.m. on Monday on the Baer Mall of the St. Norbert College campus. For the past several years, the ice cream social has been Kunkel's way of welcoming students to St. Norbert College for the start of a new school year.

Kunkel served as dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland for eight years prior to being named president of St. Norbert College in 2008. As head coach of men's hockey, Coghlin has appeared in seven national title games and has led his team to four national championships, most recently in 2014. In addition to his duties as Prior of the Canonry at St. Norbert Abbey, Baraniak also serves as chaplain to the Green Bay Packers, and has previously been the pastor at Old St. Joseph's Church on the St. Norbert College campus. By undertaking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the three of them will join the ranks of Bill Gates, Oprah, Lady Gaga, Robert Downey Jr. and countless others.

The purpose of the challenge is to raise funds and awareness for charities that deal with ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease). According to the challenge's original structure, those nominated can elect either to douse themselves with ice water and nominate three others to do the same, or donate $100 to the ALS-related charity of their choice. However, many people who have undertaken the challenge have opted for both deluge and donation.

The challenge has gone viral on several social media sites, thanks in part to the participation of various celebrities. Between Tuesday, July 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 20, the ALS Association raised over $33 million, as compared to $1.9 million during the same time period last year.

For more information, contact Mike Counter in the office of communications at 920-403-3089 or at mike.counter@snc.edu.