Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, and the family of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder and late Yonkers Native Pat Quinn announced the date of the 2025 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is set for Saturday, August 2, 2025. The annual event will once again take place trackside at the historic Yonkers Raceway located at Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts in Westchester, New York. Festivities will begin at 12 noon with the ice bucket dump scheduled for approximately 1:30 p.m. Participants should pre-register online at YonkersNY.gov/IBC. 

The event, co-founded by Quinn after his diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2013 at the age of 30, became a global phenomenon as more than 17 million people around the world participated in the challenge via social media by dumping buckets of ice water on their heads. The event continues to remain a catalyst for raising funds to support research to identify a cure for the debilitating disease and raise awareness on the need for more research funding.

The City of Yonkers donates buckets and the stage for the event and organizes online registration for participants. Empire City underwrites the cost of the event and donates the space, staffing, and over 1,300 pounds of ice. 

The 2025 annual Ice Bucket Challenge will be held outdoors trackside, is free to participate, and attendees of all ages are welcome. Day-of, walk-up registration will also be available, but online advance registration is strongly encouraged to secure a space and bucket. For more information and to register, please visit www.empirecitycasino.com.