Not to throw cold water on the ice bucket challenge, but there’s a new, hotter way to test your mental and physical fortitude while raising money for a good cause.
In the latest viral challenge to raise money and awareness for ALS, all one needs to do is down a very hot pepper. Here are the basic guidelines for the new Ghost Pepper Challenge:
Anaheim pepper: $20 minimum donation Jalapeno pepper: $10 minimum donation Habanero pepper: $5 minimum donation Anything spicier: $0 minimum donation Pull yourself together, then nominate three friends to partake in the mouth misery.
While there’s no explicit mention of the scorching ghost pepper, don’t let that stop you from stepping up to the plate for the ultimate mouth-burner. While it’s not officially the hottest of all peppers, it’s right there among the top on the Scoville scale, which measures the heat of a chili pepper. We suggest you wait until you’re able to gather your senses before you decide how much you think the fiery endeavor warrants in donation money.
This latest challenge took hold when Andrew Rea put the (above) video up on his popular YouTube channel, Binging with Babish, in honor of his friend Garmt van Soest, who passed away last month after a courageous battle with ALS. Rea also created a GoFundMe in an effort to raise $25,000 to fund ALS research in his friend’s honor.
If this is a challenge you’re up for, go for it. Just be aware that all of these peppers are extremely hot, especially the ghost pepper. It’s all for a great cause, and if you’re mentally prepared to experience some serious aftershock after that initial bite, it’s a challenge you will no doubt conquer. But if you’d rather bypass the eye-watering episode, you can always just donate to Rea’s GoFundMe.
