Jersey Mike's Eugene Revives Ice Bucket Challenge for Special Olympics Oregon

Logan Munden had a straightforward pitch for customers at Jersey Mike's Subs on West 11th Avenue in Eugene: get doused with cold water, nominate a friend, and help Special Olympics reach a $30 million fundraising goal.

The Eugene location joined every Jersey Mike's franchise nationwide in a revived Ice Bucket Challenge during the chain's month of giving, with participants dumping cold water over their heads and nominating others to continue the tradition. The fundraiser benefited Special Olympics Oregon, with Munden, the franchise's business consultant, also referencing a direct donation pledge tied to Special Olympics USA Games.

"It's all for a good cause right? If you get a chance come down see us on the twenty fifth...day of giving where we donate one hundred percent of sales to the Special Olympics USA Games," Munden said. "Every Jersey Mike's in the nation is doing this and our goal is to raise over thirty million dollars."

The campaign leaned on the cultural memory of the original Ice Bucket Challenge, which swept social media in 2014 and raised more than $220 million for ALS research. That viral format, built on public participation and peer nominations, gave Jersey Mike's a ready-made fundraising engine that required little more than a bucket of ice water and a willing staff member or customer.

Local franchise staff organized the Eugene event alongside customers and volunteers at the West 11th Avenue restaurant. The chain's structure, with every location participating simultaneously, sets up the national $30 million target as a collective rather than a local ask, though the Eugene location's contribution toward that figure was not available.

The specific operational scope of the 100% sales donation, including which transactions qualify and whether online orders or fees are included, was not detailed in available information. Munden's quote referenced the "twenty fifth" day of giving as the designated full-donation day, though the precise calendar date was not confirmed.