Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal participated in the ALS ice bucket challenge outside of the chain’s Hyattsville location. According to Shallal, he was challenged by Matt Shallal.
The prominent chain’s owner nominated Muriel Bowser, Democratic nominee for Washington, D.C. mayor, Nizam Ali of Ben’s Chili Bowl, as well as his son Jeffery Shallal.
The ALS ice bucket challenge is a growing phenomenon in the United States to raise awareness about Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. According to the ALS Association:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.
