Some people will do anything for 15 minutes of fame, and the internet makes it even easier to make a fool of yourself in the name of likes. Phenomena like the Ice Bucket Challenge are harmless and raise money for good causes, but others have proven to be incredibly dangerous. Some have resulted in disfigurement, jail, and even death for those foolish enough to perform them.

WARNING: The videos on this list contain footage that is disturbing, stupid, or dangerous. Please use discretion so young people or stupid people won’t be exposed to the content.

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10 The Fire Challenge

The Fire Challenge was an internet fad where people poured a flammable liquid over parts of their body and set it on fire. They were supposed to quickly put it out, but naturally, such a feat landed several children in the hospital with second and third degree burns. One 12 year old girl was engulfed in flames when the rubbing alcohol she smeared over herself got out of control (possibly due to flammable perfume she was wearing.) Aside from the grave bodily harm the “challenge” can inflict on those who attempt it, it has also landed at least one woman in jail for contributing to the delinquency of a minor when she helped her son film his own Fire Challenge.^[1]

9 The Condom-snorting Challenge

The Condom-snorting challenge is exactly what it sounds like—snorting an extended condom through your nose. The idea is that it will come out of the back of the nasal cavity, where it can then be pulled out of the mouth. Youtubers have been doing this for laughs, but it is actually very dangerous. The nasal cavity is sensitive, and you can do long term damage both with the condom and the chemical lubricants it might have on it. More importantly, since you are snorting a long piece of stretchy plastic into your airway, it can easily keep going past your nasal cavity into your lungs. This has happened during at least one condom-snorting challenge, which resulted in the snorter having to endure surgery, and suffer through months of illness.^[2]

8 Banana Sprite Challenge

The Banana Sprite Challenge is based on the (extremely unscientific) claim that your body cannot digest bananas and Sprite at the same time. The claim, baseless as it may be, says that since your body cannot digest these two substances together, it will reject both, causing you to vomit. There are several Youtube videos (that we don’t recommend watching) of people attempting the challenge, and then vomiting everything back up.

To be clear, the vomiting is less likely caused by the indigestibility of the banana-Sprite mix, and more likely the sheer volume of food and drink the challenge requires. The challenge is to eat two bananas as quickly as you can, then chug a liter of Sprite. Eating and drinking that much so quickly could easily produce vomiting, regardless of the combination.^[3]

7 Salt and Ice Challenge

The Salt and Ice Challenge is a very dangerous internet phenomena where people (including children) have been putting salt and ice together on their bodies. Mixing salt and ice causes a chemical reaction that induces frostbite, and the challenge involves seeing how long you can withstand keeping it on your body. The internet is brimming with pictures of second and third degree burns suffered by those who attempted the challenge.^[4]

Unfortunately, and probably because of the ease of acquiring the ingredients for the challenge, several young children have been rushed to the emergency room with severe burns on their arms after giving themselves frostbite. One child even said that he left it on for so long because it “didn’t even hurt” when they burned themselves.^[5]

6 Cinnamon Challenge

The Cinnamon Challenge is to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon in 60 seconds without drinking anything. It sounds easy, but is actually extremely hard—and dangerous, according to doctors. The problem isn’t actually eating and digesting the cinnamon itself, which is, after all, a common spice. The problem is that trying to eat that much cinnamon will trigger the gag reflex, which causes you to inadvertently inhale cinnamon dust.

Cinnamon dust can be extremely harmful to the lungs. It is caustic, meaning that it can burn or corrode tissue. This is not a problem for your stomach, but getting a caustic compound in your lungs can be damaging. The cellulose matrix of cinnamon also cannot be metabolized, which means that getting it out of your lungs can be a nightmare. Doing the challenge once probably won’t give you “cinnamon lung,” but it can trigger an asthma attack, which can be fatal for some people.^[6]

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5 Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge

Kylie Jenner is a reality TV star known for her plump lips. Some teens have taken to temporarily enlarging their own lips with the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge, in which they put their lips and mouths inside a container, and then suck the air out to create a vacuum. The lack of air pressure inside the container caused by the sucking causes their lips to temporarily plump, creating the short-term appearance of large lips.

Unfortunately, this not only looks ridiculous, but can be painful, damaging, and cause permanent damage. The swelling expands blood vessels and can tear the sensitive skin of the lips, and make them bleed. Some who attempted the challenge sucked for so long that stitches were needed to repair the damage to their inflated lips.^[7]

4 Hot Pepper Challenge

While hot pepper eating competitions are not uncommon, some Youtubers had their own private challenges to see if they could down some of the hottest peppers in the world. “Monkey see, monkey do” unfortunately applies to middle schoolers who wanted to test their own pepper-eating mettle during their school lunch. A middle schooler brought in a Carolina reaper pepper to school to attempt the challenge with their friends.^[8]

Eating such hot peppers straight, though, can result in vomiting, breathing problems, and other complications—which is exactly what happened to the 30 middle schoolers who tried to down them in their cafeteria. The principle had to call emergency services, just like another principle the very next day when 40 students put ghost peppers in their lunches.

In another challenge at a restaurant, one man ate a ghost pepper-topped burger and began vomiting uncontrollably. It caused Boerhaave’s syndrome, a tear in his esophagus that led to a collapsed lung. The condition is potentially fatal, and landed him in the hospital for almost a month. (We assume that he also lost the restaurant’s challenge.)^[9]

3 24 Hour Fort Challenge

The 24 Hour Fort Challenge is where someone creates a “fort” in a large store where they can hide out for 24 hours, avoiding security, and ultimately spending the night until opening. The challenge seems rather harmless to those who participate, so there are hundreds of posts on youtube from those who have accepted it. Hiding out in a store after it closes, though, is essentially trespassing. It can and has led to criminal charges being filed against individuals who have undertaken it.^[10] And while some people are potentially ruining their futures for the sparse fame of uploading a youtube video, younger children are taking the challenge and causing large-scale searches when their parents call the police to report them missing.^[11]

2 Hot Coil Challenge

Thanks to the power of the internet, anyone can create any kind of challenge they want, no matter how dangerous or dumb. A pair of Youtubers created the Hot Coil Challenge, where they turn on their stove and press their forearm over the red-hot coils to withstand the burn as long as they can. Naturally, the member of the pair that pressed his arm to hot coils gave himself 3rd degree burns, which he showed off on the expletive-ridden video.^[12]

This challenge was so absurd that it was restricted on Youtube for viewers over 18. And perhaps because of its obvious danger and consequences, the challenge has fortunately failed to gain traction among teenagers seeking to permanently disfigure themselves.^[13] Still, there are always people willing to do anything for views, and a few copycats exist.

1 Blue Whale Challenge

The most horrible of internet “challenges” was perhaps the Blue Whale Challenge. It was allegedly the brainchild of Philipp Budeikin, who pleaded guilty to creating the challenge in 2017. His challenge consisted of inciting those he called “biological waste” to ultimately commit suicide.^[14]

The “challenge” involved getting those who accepted to do 50 days of increasingly horrifying self-harming activities that culminated in suicide. It also had those who participated delete all evidence of the “Blue Whale Challenge” from their computers before commiting the final act.

Budeikin was caught after one of his participants gave up near the last stages of the challenge and told the police. He was held on charges of inciting 16 teenage girls to commit suicide, and ultimately found guilty on two counts. Unfortunately, he is believed to be only one of many administrators of the challenge. Due to the challenge’s nature, it is difficult to verify exactly how much of it is actually taking place and how much of it is just an internet rumor. But at least two american teenage suicides are suspected of being linked to it.^[15]

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About The Author: Mike has a lot more time to write lists recently.

While the classic charm of fetes and raffles will always endure, today’s world continues to surprise us with unique waves of fundraising trends. Creative ways to raise the bar are always on the horizon—from the ingenious to the wacky and everything in between.

So no need to sell candy or magazines or get pledges for that walk-a-thon! Here are ten charity challenges that were inspired by outside-the-box ideas.

Related: 10 Acts Of Astonishing Charity Performed By Ordinary People

10 Stop Playing That Song

It is an interesting twist on fundraising when the aim is to irritate people into donating—a simple but effective strategy adopted by Tenino High School in Washington. One day in 2014, the school began playing the Justin Bieber song “Baby” on loop at every break (during recess, at lunch, and between classes) as annoyed students donated to make it stop.

Students made comments like “my head is about to explode” and “I just want to go home.” The goal was to raise funds for disadvantaged orphans from Ghana, and the school almost doubled its expected target within a day and a half. The original idea came from students at Evanstown Township High School in Illinois, who launched their charity campaign “Stop the Bieber” in 2011.^[1]

9 Tower of Cupcakes

Baking cakes for charity has literally risen to new heights in modern times. In 2017, South African charity Cupcakes of Hope created a soaring 10.7-meter-tall (35-foot) tower of cupcakes to raise funds for children’s cancer research. The impressive (and delicious-looking) structure in Vereeniging, South Africa, was the result of local business support and a community baking drive. The cone-shaped frame held 6,370 carefully-placed cupcakes and weighed 1,200 kilograms (2,646 pounds). I wonder what the olden-time “cake sale on a card table” bakers would have made of this challenge, complete with endless crane journeys to set up and take down the display.

The quest was a fundraising success for Cupcakes of Hope, with boxes of cakes also gifted to children’s homes, hospitals, and volunteers at the end of the day. From 2017 to 2019, the charity also held the Guinness Record for the World’s Tallest Tower of Cupcakes.^[2]

8 Hands Across America

In 1986, millions of Americans participated in Hands Across America—a chain of people holding hands for 15 minutes spanning from New York to Los Angeles. Quite an achievement considering that organizers could not fall back on the ease of the internet or smartphones back then. The concept was developed by Ken Kragen (also a key coordinator of the famed “We Are the World” charity song of 1985) to raise money for American poverty. The chain crossed 17 states, with an estimated 5.5 million participants paying for their place in the line. U.S. President Ronald Reagan and a host of other prominent figures also joined in.

The ambitious idea of an unbroken human chain across a continent was almost achieved. With some breaks reported in Arkansas and areas of the Arizona desert, participants tried to compensate by using ribbons, buses, and livestock. When Kragen was asked in 2019 if Hands Across America could work today, he joked that people would be too busy attempting selfies now to actually hold hands.^[3]

7 Human Hamster Wheel

Crossing the Irish Sea inside a human hamster wheel may seem a tad overambitious for everyday folk. However, British endurance athlete and engineer Chris Todd is no stranger to big picture charity feats. After running six marathons in six days across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and completing a Canadian Arctic hike, it was time for a new challenge.

Todd designed and built a giant steel paddlewheel supported by floatation on either side. With the help of family and friends in his garden in Bromham, Wiltshire, the clever contraption took almost a year to make.

In 2012, Todd set off on an estimated two-day slog from Wales to Ireland on the Tredalo (as he named the wheel). Apart from walking on water, his goal was to raise money for two charities he admired—the Wiltshire Blind Association and Royal National Lifeboat Institute. Planning for the adventure included a support boat team carrying over thirty liters (8 gallons) of water and sixty chocolate bars.

Todd powered through the first third of the 106-kilometer (66-mile) course in calm conditions. However, sometimes the best-laid plans are no match for mother nature. Unfortunately, harsh winds caused wave damage to the rudders, and the quest had to be aborted. On the positive side, Todd raised money for charity and made it quite a distance across the open sea in his unique invention.^[4]

6 Giant Waterslide

In 2013, two enterprising New Zealanders from a mental health charity, Live More Awesome, began their mission to build the world’s longest waterslide. Creators Jimi Hunt and Dan Drupsteen headed the original project—an arduous task of digging a 554-meter (1818-foot) trench into a hill, covering it with plastic and running water through the course. The original event was a great success, gaining worldwide media attention and starting more conversations around depression. Unfortunately, the following day was not much fun for Live More Awesome volunteers, who had to fill the massive trench on the farmer’s land.

Eighteen months later, Hunt and Drupsteen had designed, crowdfunded, and created a Plan B—an enormous, inflatable waterslide. Made from polyvinyl chloride (the same material as bounce houses), the impressive slide was 600 meters (1,968 feet) long and reached speeds of 53 kilometers per hour (33 mph) per hour. Weighing 6,500 kilograms (7 tons), it took three days to set up and one day to pack down.

From 2015 to 2018, the giant slide featured at three-day events at Jonkers Farm, near Bethells Beach, New Zealand. Enthusiasts flocked to the farm to ride it, all proceeds toward mental health initiatives. In 2015, the slide held the Guinness Record for the World’s Longest Inflatable Waterslide and later found a new home at Action Park in Vernon, New Jersey.^[5]

5 Stormtrooper Trek

Many have set off on long-haul walking missions to raise money for charity, but would they be willing to trek Australia as a Star Wars stormtrooper? Such get-ups were designed for a galaxy far, far away, not for rising temperatures and the never-ending Australian terrain. Australian Scott Loxley, however, was determined to complete his 15,000-kilometer (9,320-mile) Star Wars-style slog while raising money for the Monash Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Loxley walked for more than 400 days between November 2013 and June 2015. He crossed remote regions of the Nullarbor Plain, the Kimberley, and Northern Territory before heading down the East Coast.

The roving stormtrooper had many adventures along the way, such as swimming with a crocodile in Darwin, riding a camel in Broome, and fishing at a Western Australian beach. His walking days, however, started at 5 am and involved “just looking at a white line in front of me.” At times, Loxley walked in temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F) and had lost a third of his body weight at one point in the journey. He also wore his original (if somewhat dusty and battered) stormtrooper suit for the entire adventure, going through over thirty pairs of shoes. One of his final public appearances was at an Australian Rules football match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, en route to the finish line at his hometown of Clayton.

It is ironic that the clunky costume, which made the mission all the more challenging, also saved Loxley from a dangerous situation. While walking in northern Queensland, a snake lunged and bit him, but the stormtrooper’s trusty armor blocked any injury.^[6]

4 Unicycle Quest

While on the theme of fine Aussie expeditions, can you imagine balancing your way around Australia riding a unicycle? With no handlebars and a great deal of passion, Samuel Johnson achieved exactly that in a year-long journey from 2013 to 2014. The well-known Australian actor forged on through the heat, rain, and cold to raise funds and awareness for the Love Your Sister charity. He created the foundation in honor of his sister Connie, who was fighting cancer for a third time.

The unicycle idea came about when the siblings were laughing about it as a joke dare. However, Johnson’s determination to make it a reality saw him travel 15,995 kilometers (9,938 miles) over 364 days. He also secured the Guinness Record for the World’s Longest Unicycle Ride. Following an emotional reunion with his sister at the finish line in Melbourne, Johnson quipped that unicycles are “implausible contraptions” and “not a great way to get around.”

Connie sadly passed away from cancer in 2017, and her brother continues his dedication to the Love Your Sister charity today. Johnson received the Australian of the Year award in 2018 and went on to win first place (and the charity check) on Dancing with the Stars Australia in 2019.^[7]

3 70 Skydives for 70th Birthday

Larry Ekstrom of Michigan had no interest in a traditional 70th birthday celebration in 2012. On the day he turned seventy, he took to the skies to complete a staggering 70 consecutive skydives across 10 hours. Funds raised from this mighty achievement went to a Michigan seeing-eye dog charity, Leader Dogs for the Blind.

Riding the wind was second nature to the experienced skydiver, who returned to the plane again and again with an unfazed, “get-on-with-the-job” attitude. He also went through eight different parachutes during his all-day mission.

Milestone diving became a theme in Ekstrom’s life after he completed 60 skydives on his 60th birthday. On this occasion, he jumped to raise money for multiple sclerosis (a disease his wife suffered from). The pilot claimed that the dynamic diver “wore him out.”^[8]

2 90-Year-Old Daredevil

Betty Bromage of Abbeyfield House care home in Cheltenham, United Kingdom, does not believe in stereotypes. With lofty ambitions to celebrate her ninetieth year, the thrill-seeker completed a trio of spectacular age-defying stunts. Her adventures in 2019 raised funds for a new summerhouse and community garden at Abbeyfield House.

First up on Bromage’s to-do list was a wing walk in April 2019, her fourth at the time. Already the World’s Oldest Female Wing-Walker, this involved being secured above the wing of a vintage plane for a 15-minute joy ride over Gloustershire. The adrenaline junkie has also been known to ask the pilot to throw in a loop here and there.

Next on the agenda was shooting across the world’s fastest zip wire in Snowdonia, Wales, in May 2019, followed by rappelling down the 52-meter tall (170-foot) Eagle Tower in Cheltenham in September 2019.

After Bromage completed her rappelling challenge, she spoke of needing “a good gin and tonic” (LINK 20). She has also joked in recent times about her hope that “the wind will blow some of my wrinkles away” as she continues her daredevil antics.^[9]

1 High-Altitude Dinner Party

Extreme adventurer, Bear Grylls (of Man vs. Wild fame), is known for taking on bizarre challenges that most people would flatly decline. In 2005, this trend continued when he attended a formal dinner party at never-seen-before heights. Way beyond the safety of a skyscraper restaurant, this dinner transpired at an astounding 7.4 kilometers (4.6 miles) above the ground on a table and chairs suspended beneath a hot air balloon. Yes, that is dining in the open sky miles above Earth.

Raising money for The Prince’s Trust and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (LINK 24), Grylls was joined by fellow British adventurers David Hempleman-Adams and Lieutenant Commander Alan Veal. Organizer Hempleman-Adams took the trio to dizzying heights in the specially designed balloon; before Grylls and Veal climbed 12 meters (40 feet) below the balloon basket en route to dinner.

When settled (if you can call it that) at their table in formal attire, oxygen masks, and safety gear, the pair ate a three-course meal over about 20 minutes. With cutlery and plates secured to a round table and meals kept in temperature-controlled boxes, the menu featured asparagus tips, duck a l’orange, and fruit terrine. At the time, the trio broke the Guinness Record for the World’s Highest Formal Dinner Party.

As humans are not designed to hover among clouds at such high altitudes, there was the danger of hypoxia throughout this stunt—a condition that causes the body to stop functioning properly due to oxygen deficiency. It was reported that Grylls lost his oxygen mask at one point, but in his “cat with nine lives” style, no harm came to him. The dinner party team then skydived back to Earth after dessert (as any normal person would do, right?).

Following the amazing challenge, balloon operator Hempleman-Adams acknowledged that this was “the strangest record” he had ever attempted and “very dangerous.” However, he quipped about one detail he was a little disappointed about—his fellow death-defying adventurers had no leftover goodies from the dinner party for him.^[10]