The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has raised nearly 1.4 million yuan ($225,000) since it came to China on August 18.

The China-Dolls Care and Support Association (CDCSA), the organizer of the challenge in China, said that as of 4 pm Wednesday, the challenge had raised 1.4 million yuan from nearly 5,000 people, of which one million yuan came from Wang Sicong, son of Wanda Group director Wang Jianlin.

The rest of the money came from IT gurus, entertainment and sports celebrities, media personalities, government bodies and officials.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which started in the US in July and went viral across the world, is dedicated to raising awareness of combating Lou Gehrig's disease.

CDCSA founder Wang Yi'ou said it's the first time the organization has gained such publicity. She hopes the challenge will continue to bring more public attention to rare diseases.

On Wednesday, the National Health and Family Planning Commission was challenged by Zhang Quanling, a well-known anchorwoman at China Central Television (CCTV), who said that government should play a pivotal role in combating rare diseases.

In China, the number of ALS patients is estimated to be 20,000.