Topic: #IceBucketChallenge in honor of Hal Finney and bringing Awareness to ALS (Read 2837 times)

since this thread was resurrected from the dead, I might as well add input. (sorry to kinda hijack your thread chris, but i think we both are excited about this one)

I've been blessed to become friends with Fran Finney over the last month now, she has been so encouraged by the bitcoiners that are doing this!


Chris has been another one who has been a very awesome and supportive person to fran and participated in the icebucket challenge along with me before hal passed. thanks dude!


The groups out there that we (fran and I) are talking to about taking cryptos for the donations would be putting 100% of funds towards actual research and/or treatment/prevention/cure of ALS. Hopefully in the next few weeks we can present something to the bitcoin community to be added in the running for the ALS donations (or get some more continuous donations going to support ALS research more longterm). ALS research/prevention/care/etc is something that I think the community can fund and blow away any other donation group!

I know that she and I have been talking about getting some "Hal's Pals" tees printed up through a local print shop (since they are unable to donate financially, but can donate through tee shirts) as a way to get some funding together in cryptos so we can honor hal and also connect with others with ALS who may be encouraged to hear the Finney story (and bring to light the goodness in the cryptocommunity at large).

Please do not think that the tee shirt funding would be anything that is taking funding away from ALS research/care but as a way for those who can't/won't financially donate but can justify a donation otherwise (be it printing tees, sending a donation in return for a tee, or just want to donate to a "smaller" cause). It will also give some inherent value to all coins as I'm aiming to bring to light that any crypto donation is a donation in honor of hal and in honor of ALS treatment/prevention/cure (plus possibly pay for some of the costs for hal's preservation), which I think would make hal excited.



proof of my friendship with fran for anyone who doubts https://twitter.com/franfinney/status/507344700366286849


I did not ask her about posting this before I did, so if this ends up being offensive I may take it down, and be aware that I am speaking for myself, and from my point of view.

www.btlsfoundation.org = A wonderful charity. Even if you do not believe in their cause, the way the charity is run is a superb example of how a charity should work. Over 60%+ giveback. No one on the board takes a salary. That is the purpose of a charity. To give back.
https://www.btlsfoundation.org/images/pdf/2013BTLSFoundation990-EZ.pdf
http://www.btls.com/news/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-assn-als.html

AS an example of a terrible way to run a charity look at the Wounded Warrior Project. $150,000,000 raised and less than $6,000,000 in givebacks. WTF is that all about? I'll explain... It's all about padding the pockets of those involved.

Do your due diligence as a responsible person and look up the charities you want to donate to. You may change your mind and find another more worthy cause. If ALS is your cause... Graet They need all the help they can get. Find a charity that actually gives back.  

Yea I just learned about it this morning (

Terrible terrible news. On the bright side, cryogenics!

Hal Finney has died:
http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/2014-August/082585.html

I'll second this. I've worked for a charity (I shan't name it, but it's huge) that really is a scam. They donated less than 5% to the cause they "supported". 30 percent direct is actually pretty good. The regulatory hoops to operate a 503(c) registered charity are immense, and the workforce is only partially volunteer. Problem with volunteers is that they are under no obligation. Guy getting paid has to show up and work. So that's the model they follow, almost without exception, and the officers make a fair living. Just because the charity is set up to make a profit and THEN deliver it does not mean they aren't doing the right thing. You'd be pretty happy with a 30% dividend on you holding in a for profit, wouldn't you?

EDIT: To the idiots crying scam. I personally know Chris Franko. He's a stand up guy. I also had an uncle, Rollin Putzier, who died from ALS. At the time of his death, he had survived with the disease longer than anyone on record. He was my favorite uncle, and I'm convinced that he lived as long as he did simply because he was too damn stubborn to die. But it was tough watching him deteriorate in his final years. This is a cause that's close to me. I personally have donated thousands of dollars to ALS research over the last two decades and will continue to do so as I have the ability. I particularly want to see research into nanotechnology and nanosurgery, because it might reverse the ravages of the disease while they figure out how to eradicate it.

Do what you think you have to whiteknight. I'm publicly known, all my information is publicly known and quit frankly it would be absolutely ludicrous to think that I would scam the community out of $1 that someone on youtube said they sent. Bitpay is already working on an alternative and when they land their deal and start to collect fee's from the donations, well at least they are trust worthy!

Only on bitcointalk can people turn a noble thread about donating coin into a scam accusation.

It is not the fact that only one person donated, it is the fact that one person donated almost immediately. If you don't want to find someone reputable to collect donations to give to the ALS foundation then I will find someone myself that is reputable that the community will trust to forward the fund to what many think is a good cause.

Yall are right! This must be a scam because only one person donated via bitcoin >_< #CryptoLogic

That was one thing that made me very suspicious as well. I thought it was very strange the someone was donating a very small amount almost right after the OP was posted.

I will have to agree with itsAj on this one. The donations are not being given to coinbase. They may (or may not be) processed through coinbase however they are not going to force you to donate funds to the ALS foundation. To be honest this smells like a scam to me.

EDIT: especially considering the fact that the donation address receive exactly one donation almost right after the OP was posted and has received exactly nothing since then.

Thanks for your input. Coinbase is pretty reputable and all the transactions are stored publicly on the blockchain.

No one has to know me, as I am not asking to do business with anyone nor am I asking for money to give to a charity. Yes, you can use the blockchain to be transparent, but this would only confirm the amount that needs to be donated. The blockchain will not force you to actually use the money you receive to actually donate.

If you really want to get people to donate to this cause via BTC then I would suggest finding a reputable escrow service to take the donations, sell the BTC on an exchange and donate to the ALS foundation. The escrow's reputation would increase the chances that people will trust that their money will actually go to the cause. 

so you think!

Well I have donated $30 to the cause.
But seriously?
The california dirt bucket challenge?
You're going to have to wash the dirt off anyways. Lol

Stupid challenge, because i take cold shower every day.

Update: Now on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/2eawbv/warm_10_gallon_bucket_of_shit_challenge/

Warm 10 Gallon of Shit Challenge introduced: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/heard-of-bucket-of-ice-water-or-dirt-challenge-meet-bucket-of-shit-challenge-752435

Hi you have to also realize that ALS didn't get much support before. They've made 56 million already, 30% of that isn't going to be the only amount given. If you only make 2 million in donations.. And your expenses are high, obviously a lower % will be used for research. Their bills will stay the same.. So more will go for research.

I wonder what the next charity fad, pushed by viral social media, will be.

Yup there are no excuses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3zaY5FZ9E

Great work OP.  Nice to see a challenge video with a focus on the cause