ALS Hero, Pete Frates, has died

December 10, 2019/Nancy Thomas

By Nancy Thomas

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS. Pete Frates. Lou Gehrig.

Those words go together. Yesterday, Pete Frates, who had lived with ALS for nearly 20 years, passed away from complications of the fatal disease.

Pete had a daily affirmation: Be passionate, be genuine, be hardworking and don’t ever be afraid to be great.

Struck down at the young age of 27, Frates had been the former captain of the Boston College baseball team. When he was diagnosed he went to his doctor and asked her what would it take to cure the disease. She said without blinking “one billion dollars”. Those were Pete’s marching orders. And for all the years after, he never wavered from that mission – nor did his entire family, especially his mother, Nancy, who would go on to a position on the board of directors of the ALS Association nationally. Pete married soon after being diagnosed and had one child.

While Pete never missed an opportunity to talk with doctors, reach out to groups, and newly diagnosed people, he did whatever he could, whenever he could, what he will be remembered for is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

In 2014 I was the public relations representative for the Boston based Massachusetts ALS Chapter. I worked remotely from home in Rhode Island. With very little notice, the Ice Bucket Challenge, assisted by Pete’s athletic friends, began. Within hours social media was blowing up and we began an intensive 3-day effort to retweet, repost, and thank everyone we could. To say I didn’t leave my computer and had a steady stream of junk food for 3 days is no exaggeration. It was the most amazing directly measurably promotions I had ever been involved in. We watched the effort go cross country, then to Europe, then jumping to Asia, and Australia, and Canada. It was like a giant good-deed ping pong ball, and I was so proud to be part of it.

Within 30 days $200 million was raised and the ALS Association began planning for how to invest it to get the greatest bang for the buck – this had to go to a cure and to support those in need.

Pete’s mother, Nancy, became 100% dedicated to the mission, and on several occasions I met her as she assertively pursued sponsorships, medical relationships, challenging everyone to hear the story, to make a difference.

The entire Frates family made a difference. When a cure is to be found, I hope it will have Pete Frates’ name on it. Because each and every year Ice Bucket Challenges continue, sports fundraising events continue, the Frates fundraising mission will continue.

Sharing two videos about Pete Frates: