It's a peculiar charity that encourages people not to donate to its cause, but the ALS Association appears to have struck gold with the counter-intuitive Ice Bucket Challenge.

The global phenomenon has a simple premise: give money to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), or tip a bucket of iced water over your head, film it, and challenge your friends to do the same. The idea is to raise awareness, and the ALS Association can quantify what that's worth - as of Monday it had raised $15.6 million in donations compared to $1.8 million during the same period last year.

Celebrities have done the most to further the cause, filming videos to raise awareness but also donating to the ALS Association. Bill Gates' effort has notched up seven million views on YouTube, the most popular entry so far, after he was nominated by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Other celebrities to jump on the viral bandwagon include Lady Gaga, Jimmy Fallon and Canadian ice hockey player Paul Bissonnette, who had water dumped on him by a helicopter.

Local television star Tom Williams has taken part and challenged Clive Palmer to do the same. Even our own Russell Crowe joined in on the sensation, from the relative comfort of his apartment at the end of the Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf.

 

From the wide world of celebrity Ice Bucket Challenges, here are the top 10 most-watched.

1. Bill Gates

The philanthropist and former Microsoft head appeared to construct his own bucket-dumping apparatus before taking the challenge. "I'm glad to give to ALS, it's a great cause," he said, and challenged actor Ryan Seacrest, Tesla's Elon Musk and TED's Chris Anderson to do the same.

 

2. Robert Downey jnr

Short but sweet, No. 2 comes courtesy of actor Robert Downey jnr. The 20-second video has garnered more than 3.7 million views despite being filmed vertically.

 

3. Paul Bissonnette

Canadian ice hockey professional Paul Bissonnette set the most dramatic scene for his Ice Bucket Challenge, appearing in his underwear atop a mountain to have glacial water dumped on him from a helicopter.

 

4. Jimmy Fallon

Comedian Jimmy Fallon was challenged by New Jersey governor Chris Christie, the New York Daily News newspaper, and singer Justin Timberlake. He took the challenge live on The Tonight Show alongside Rob Riggle, Horatio Sanz, Steve Higgins and The Roots.

 

5. Triple H

"The important thing for everybody to remember is make a donation - I already have," said Triple H, executive vice president of World Wrestling Entertainment. "Notice - lots of ice. Don't cheese out."

 

6. Chris Pratt

American actor and star of Parks and Recreation Chris Pratt took a few shots of Dutch courage and snuck in some product promotion before the icy torrent was unleashed by two women on his balcony.

 

7. Ronda Rousey

More than a million have watched mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey take the Ice Bucket Challenge after she was nominated by her own boss.

 

8. Conan O'Brien

Talk show host Conan O'Brien was always going to be subjected to the ice water treatment. "This sounds like a really sweet deal," he joked, and challenged former US president Jimmy Carter.

 

9. Vince McMahon

Proving the folks at WWE are a charitable bunch, its chairman Vince McMahon accepted a challenge from his son-in-law, Triple H. "I can definitely do better [than him]," he announced, and challenged billionaire Donald Trump to follow suit. "Imagine that visualisation!"

 

10. Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher

Country singer Carrie Underwood and her Canadian ice hockey player husband Mike Fisher took the challenge together, receiving a back hoe full of ice water over their heads.