From Buckets to Bikes: How the Ice Bucket Challenge Revival and Cycling on Purpose Make Real Change

The Ice Bucket Challenge: A Legacy of Collective Action

In 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge took the world by storm, raising millions for ALS research through a simple, daring act: dumping ice water on oneself. It showed us the immense power of collective action and the potential for viral movements to drive real change. Now, in 2025, that spirit is being reignited with a new, critical focus: youth mental health.

Parents.com highlights how the Ice Bucket Challenge has been reimagined for today’s most pressing issue —the youth mental health crisis. Young people are sharing moments of vulnerability, challenging friends to speak openly about mental health, and raising funds for innovative programs like Active Minds, a nonprofit leader in mental health education and advocacy.

With initiatives Project Wake Up, Youth Champions, and At Work, Active Minds uses storytelling to break down stigma and foster honest conversations, empowers middle and high school students to peer-led support systems at their schools, and ensures that mental health literacy continues into the workplace where today's youth are tomorrow's leaders.

A Generation on the Move Toward Resilience

At Cycling On Purpose, we deeply resonate with this movement. Our mission is to build resilience in youth by combining the healing powers of physical activity, nature immersion, healthy risk-taking and strong community ties —key pillars of well-being.

The revitalized Ice Bucket Challenge encourages young people to take bold, visible steps in support of a greater cause. Cycling On Purpose offers a deeper, ongoing pathway to resilience — the capacity to bounce back, grow, and adapt — and the powerful journey of finding one’s purpose. When young people act with intention, they build inner strength and clarity that fortifies mental health. Mental health flourishes not just through awareness, but through purpose-driven action and the confidence that comes with it.

We encourage you to join the current ice bucket challenge and be sure to tag Cycling On Purpose (or add us as a collaborator) when you post your videos on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

A Call to Parents: Move Beyond the Challenge

If you're enthusiastically posting videos of your young ones taking on the Ice Bucket Challenge, celebrate that spirit — and then take it a step further. Engage in active change. Support mental health initiatives at your child's school, advocate for community programs, and get involved with Cycling On Purpose to foster resilience and purpose. Fun moments online are just the beginning; lasting impact comes from intentional, everyday action.

Join Cycling On Purpose at The Kickoff: A Night Of Purpose as we champion powerful storytelling, uplifting moments, and meaningful conversations that celebrate purpose in action so that you walk away better prepared to support the youth in your life and local community. The journey has begun —