Remember when videos of people dumping buckets of ice water over their heads were everywhere on social media? The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS that Pete Frates helped launch in 2014 became a global phenomenon, increasing awareness about the progressive neurodegenerative disease while raising millions of dollars in the fight against it. On Thursday, the Peter Frates Family Foundation commemorated the anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge with a special event at Fenway Park on Thursday.
Frates, a former Boston College baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012, died in 2019 at the age of 34.
But his memory and legacy lives on.
Author Casey Sherman, who co-wrote the book “The Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight Against ALS,” served as master of ceremonies at Thursday’s event, with speakers to include Governor Maura Healey, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy, former NFL quarterback (and Boston College alum) Matt Ryan, Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque, and Josh Kraft of the New England Patriots Foundation, according to a press release.
Frates’ mother, Nancy, and his wife, Julie, were also scheduled to speak.
In a statement, Nancy Frates expressed gratitude to NWN Carousel, a provider of AI-powered technology solutions, and the Red Sox organization for putting on the event. “It’s a great opportunity to look back at what’s been accomplished over the last decade and look forward to the hard work ahead for all of us who are committed to finally ridding the world of this devastating disease that has impacted our family and millions of others around the world,” she said.