Dan Kildee Ice Bucket Challenge 2

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, outside his office in Washington D.C., dumps a bucket of ice water over his head as part of the viral #icebucketchallenge. The challenge is designed to raise both funds and awareness for ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

(Courtesy | Dan Kildee)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, on Wednesday, Aug. 20, joined the throngs of people from around the world to take the ALS "Ice Bucket Challenge" to raise money and awareness for 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.

The Ice Bucket Challenge, which has spread largely through social media under the #icebucketchallenge hashtag, asks participants to either dump a bucket of ice water over themselves or make a charitable donation to support ALS research.

#icebucketchallenge on Facebook

#icebucketchallenge on Twitter

"ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's, is a terrible degenerative disease that currently has no cure," Kildee said. "Through the Ice Bucket Challenge, we're helping to raise awareness and much-needed money for research to hopefully eradicate ALS."

The cold water is meant to symbolize the numbing feeling experienced by those with ALS. After donating or dousing themselves in water, participants often challenge friends and colleagues to participate.

Outside his office in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Kildee videotaped himself dumping a large bucket of ice water over his head.

"I've stalled enough, here we go," Kildee said. "Oh my God, that's cold."

He dedicated his challenge Wednesday to his friend, Dave Simpson, a former Genesee County Sheriff's Office employee who has ALS.

Watch Kildee's #icebucketchallenge video:

The congressman was responding to a challenge passed along to himself and two other Michigan politicians by Mark Schauer, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2014.

Schauer completed the challenge on Tuesday, Aug. 19, by allowing his wife to dump ice water on his head.

In addition to participating in the challenge, Kildee also made a personal donation to the ALS Association.

After his cold shower on Wednesday, Kildee extended the challenge to three more Michigan politicians:

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan

State Senator Jim Ananich

U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke

The ALS Association, crediting the Ice Bucket Challenge, announced Sunday, Aug. 17, that it had received $13.3 million in donations between July 29 and August 17, up from $1.7 million during the same time period last year.

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, outside his office in Washington D.C., just after he dumped a bucket of ice water over his head as part of the viral #icebucketchallenge.

Corey Griffin, a 27-year-old man who recently worked to raise more than $100,000 for an ALS charity in honor of his friend, died Saturday, Aug. 16, in a diving accident in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Griffin was friends with former Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. Frates' friends and family launched the Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon.

Mark Tower covers local government for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-284-4807, by email at mtower@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.