Kathie Lee Gifford, Tom Foley Take the ALS Ice Challenge

Some prominent Greenwich residents are getting into the act when it comes to the social media campaign to raise money for ALS with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Actress and Today show host Kathie Lee Gifford of Riverside accepted the challenge from her co-host Hoda Kotb who was doused during their Tuesday broadcast. Sitting in a bathtub she was doused by her husband, football great Frank Gifford. Click here to watch the video KLG posted on Facebook on Wednesday as she gets soaked.

State Sen. John McKinney ended his Republican primary night concession speech on Tuesday, by challenging winner Tom Foley. On Wednesday, during a joint appearance in Trumbull, the Greenwich businessman, clad in a button-down shirt and khakis, obligingly stood as McKinney dumped a bucket of ice water over him. Click here to watch the video Foley posted on Facebook.

Gov. Dannel Malloy has accepted the challenge from McKinney and Foley to do the same. On Wednesday afternoon, the one-term Democratic incumbent, whom Foley is seeking to unseat, tweeted, “He’s ready to take the plunge — Dan will take the #IceBucketChallenge for @alsassociation after the #MADD dash in #Strafford on Saturday!” (Actually, the road race is in Stratford.)

The ALS ice bucket challenge has become a recent social media phenomenon. It was started in Massachusetts in honor of a former Boston College athlete Peter Frates who was diagnosed with the disease two years ago.

Here’s how it works — after a friend extends the challenge, that person has 24 hours to respond. If they fail to respond, they have to donate $100 to an ALS charity. If the challenge is accepted, a bucket of ice water is dumped over the person’s head, which is recorded and shared over social media. That person must then extend the same challenge to four friends.

Photo: State Sen. John McKinney dumps ice water on Greenwich businessman Tom Foley. Credit: WFSB.