Two hundred twenty one people formed the letters “UST” on John P. Monahan Plaza Thursday, Sept. 4, as they doused themselves with ice water in honor of former dean of the College of Education, Leadership and Counseling Bruce Kramer, who is living with ALS.
Kramer appeared live via Skype with a message for onlookers, who waited with purple buckets in hand. St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan was the first to have the honor, getting doused by none other than Tommie. Executive vice president and provost Richard Plumb started the wave, which took about a minute to complete.
Before Tommie doused Sullivan with a bucket of ice water, she told Kramer that the “graceful way” he has handled ALS “has been an inspiration to all of us, as has your willingness to openly communicate through your blog.”
Sullivan then formally accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge, which had been made by Kramer’s congregation (Good Samaritan United Methodist Church of Edina) and the ALS Association Center of Excellence at the Hennepin County Medical Center.
And she extended her own Ice Bucket Challenge – to her colleagues, Presidents Michael Hemesath and Mary Dana Hinton and their communities at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict.
