OREM – After being called out to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, CEO Brad Caldwell of Orem-based SecurityMetrics decided he wanted to do something bigger than just dumping icy water on his own head.

He enlisted the help of his company’s employees and got the company to offer a $25 donation to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, for each person who took part. 

Thursday afternoon, 110 SecurityMetrics employees gathered in front of their building to take part. As if having a big bucket of cold water dumped on their heads wasn’t enough, Orem firefighters came to spray down the entire group with their hoses.

”It’s an awesome cause for us to support and try to get rid of that disease,” Caldwell said. 

Before his group performed the deed, Caldwell challenged Utah County companies Adobe, BlueHost and Thanksgiving Point to do the same. He said he was confident the other companies would take up the challenge.

”Of course, they’re from Utah County!” he said. “These are all great companies that we know.”

While the 110 SecurityMetrics employees toweled off, changed their clothes and went back to work, the company was cutting a check for $2,750 to send to the ALS Association.

As of Aug. 21, the association reported having received $41.8 million in donations this year, a drastic difference from the $2.1 million donated from the previous year.

According to the ALS Association’s website, it is “the only national nonprofit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence, and fostering government partnerships, the Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.”

To donate or for more information about ALS, visit www.asla.org.