The “Ice Bucket challenge”, a fund-raiser for the ALS Foundation, is running through Bergen County politics and government like an icy river.
Last Friday, Bergen County Parks Director Ron Kistner took the challenge on the plaza in front of the County Administration Building in Hackensack.
Here is the video:
County Executive Kathleen Donovan and her Chief of Staff Jeanne Baratta doused the already-soaked Kistner with a bucket of ice water. He challenged County Police Chief Brian Higgins and his officers to do the same.
Higgins and several of his men a their kids took the challenge as you can see in this video of them standing beneath a front-end loader full of ice water.
Democratic Freeholder and County Executive candidate James Tedesco also took the challenge with some help from his fellow Paramus firefighters as seen in this video on his Facebook page.
Bergen County Democratic Chairman Lou Stellato also got into the act.
His video, however, contains a clever surprise, which you’ll just have to see for yourself.
Captain Mark Lepinski, communications director of the County’s Public Safety Operations Center in Mahwah, also joined in. Here’s his video:
The ALS Foundation, which supports research to combat Lou Gehrig’s disease, reported that as of Sunday the “ice bucket” craze has raised more than $13 million nationwide.
Know of any other Bergen County government or elected officials who have taken the plunge?
If so, send a link to the videos along to me at johnensslin@gmail.com and I’ll try to post them to this blog.