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The Ice Bucket Challenge, which Kyle has already done and to which I was challenged but donated instead (because you can’t best Chase Utley), has made about ten laps around your social media circles by now. Opinions on the fundraising efforts are varied: There are those think it’s more about self-congratulation than anything else, those who don’t think it matters because money is being raised, those who think some of that donation money could be spread out to other causes, etc. And even after that, there are those who are just tired of seeing it. I’m not sure which camp Joel Embiid falls into, but he took to Twitter, where he lives, to say that Ebola is terrible too, and maybe we should raise some money for that.

However, a popular rumor (that I cannot seem to substantiate) says that the ice water is meant to simulate the numbness that is often felt by those who suffer from ALS. So what challenge could we suggest for an Ebola fundraiser? Let us look at the symptoms:

  • High fever
  • Headache
  • Joint and muscle aches
  • Sore throat
  • Weakness
  • Stomach pain
  • Lack of appetite

So, to simulate those, let’s run for long distances at high speeds while yelling at the top of our lungs after not eating for a day. Maybe in honor of Embiid we can all do it while taking a selfie with a picture of Rihanna? That should do. There’s also tons and tons of internal and external bleeding associated with Ebola, which just serves to remind you that holy shit you do not want Ebola it is just the worst thing.

Embiid also Tweeted about the challenge a few days ago with this:

Joel Embiid is many things, but in this case he is not wrong.