The inaugural CEO Soak Arkansas, held Thursday at Argenta Plaza in North Little Rock, exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 for the ALS Association, organizers said.
Simmons First Foundation Chairman Tommy May, who was named chair of the event, said the day "far exceeded" his expectations.
"To raise over $100,000 dollars is a great testimony to our business community in Arkansas wanting to make a difference," May, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2005, said.
"They know that it will improve care services to patients that can't help themselves, also for research, and more progress has been made in the last three years."
A website for the event listed a fundraising total of $113,145 on Thursday evening.
As part of the event, business leaders including Curtis Barnett, CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Curt Bradbury, vice chairman of Stephens Inc.; Chuck Morgan, CEO of Relyance Bank; and Troy Wells, CEO of Baptist Health, helped raise money and got soaked under the fountain at the plaza.
"Those dollars are going to be a huge benefit," May, a member of the ALS Association's national board of trustees, said at the event.
"UAMS right now has [clinics] and research for ALS and they are attempting to expand that into Northwest Arkansas. For a state our size, that's a significant investment. What you are doing here today is an investment in the people like me; I just want to thank you for that. And to remember to live every day like it's your last. Give to others whenever [you] can to make a difference in their life, and thank God for every day that we have."
The event was inspired by the success of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in raising money for research into ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and awareness of the disease.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the death of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing the muscles in the body to gradually weaken.
The disease leads to a loss of limb function, difficulty breathing, paralysis and eventually death.
There is currently no known cause or cure for the disease.
"Until we walk in their shoes, we cannot understand," North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick said in a statement Thursday. "I will do everything I can to raise awareness and support for ALS."
Barnett said many of the leaders involved in Thursday's event got to know May after he was diagnosed with ALS 17 years ago.
"Tommy is such a business and community leader in our state; we all have a connection to Tommy," he said. "We all love Tommy and respect him. So when we can all come together like this and raise money, find a cure and find better treatments for such a terrible disease, and doing it on behalf of somebody we all love and care about, it just makes it a special afternoon."