TEN YEARS AFTER "ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE," PETER FRATES FAMILY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES "2.0" TO ICE-OUT ALS

World's First Viral Giving Campaign Gets a "Remix" for Anniversary, Delivering Aid to Patients' Families and Continuing Fight for a Cure

Michael Pitt, Lifelong Friend of Peter Frates, Seeks to Honor Frates' Legacy as Newly Appointed Executive Director of Family Foundation

BOSTON, July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten years ago, Pete Frates braced himself in the outfield of iconic Fenway Park, preparing to be doused with a bucket of ice water. It became perhaps the most enduring image of what is now considered the biggest social media fundraising phenomenon in history – raising a quarter of a billion dollars worldwide for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research, prompting the creation of the now-ubiquitous "donate" button on social platforms, and engaging everyone from President Obama to Taylor Swift. Now, on the 10th anniversary, the Peter Frates Family Foundation is ready to reignite that energy and ice-out ALS for good. 

On Thursday, Aug. 1, the outfield of Fenway will be in the spotlight again as Pete Frates' family will be joined by former NFL MVP Matt Ryan, members of the Red Sox, Patriots & Bruins, ALS researchers and political dignitaries to pay homage to Frates and the power of a simple act – followed by a coordinated live, Ice Bucket Challenge before fans and cameras designed to spark a new wave, and new generation, of social impact. 

"My son was a born leader, but even he could not have imagined the power we can unleash with such a simple act," said Nancy Frates, Pete Frates' mother and founder of the Peter Frates Family Foundation. "One bucket of ice led to millions of beautiful tributes, and much more importantly, created a global platform for what had been a largely unknown, underfunded disease." 

The Ice Bucket Challenge and its unexpected virality ushered in a new era of possibility for fundraising. Resulting advancements in research, treatment and drug development has created an environment in which ALS is now becoming a "livable disease," but one of the unintended consequences has been the increased financial responsibilities placed on patients and their families – as home healthcare services for ALS are not covered by insurance. 

With this harsh realities in mind, the Frates family, along with NWN Carousel, a leading provider of AI-powered technology solutions, decided to use the 10th anniversary of the Challenge as a call-to-action for people around the world to again lift their phones and take the Challenge. And with a whole new generation of influential social media users driving global trends and conversations on platforms like TikTok, the "2.0" Challenge has even more potential to deliver real impact.

To help ensure that happens, the Peter Frates Family Foundation has also appointed its first executive director, Michael S. Pitt. 

Pitt, who was by Pete Frates' side from the first day of their high school football practice until he passed, brings to the Foundation deep expertise in operational and organizational leadership. He previously worked in sales, management and executive consulting capacities across the healthcare industry, as well as serving as development and performance mindset advisor to student-athletes at Northeastern University. He has also worked alongside U.S. military special operators for the past 13 years, providing team-building and leadership development for high school, collegiate and professional athletic teams.

"I want to make sure that Pete Frates is a household name, not just today, but 20, 30, 50 years from now," said Pitt. "The Ice Bucket Challenge that Pete helped to initiate is cemented in pop culture history and was a watershed moment for research, but there are still overwhelming costs of home health care facing today's progressed ALS patients and their families. That's our mission at the Peter Frates Family Foundation, and our work is far from over."

In his role as executive director, Pitt will work hand-in-hand with Pete Frates' family. He intends to tackle the unresolved problems of home healthcare costs, as well as challenges of fundraising and growth, with the same tenacious spirit and unbreakable resolve that defined Pete and that binds his family.

"Pete and I were both athletes, and that competitive fire is what drives our work at the Foundation," Pitt said. "Growing up, the Frates cared and looked after me like I was one of their own. Now in this role, I feel that same familial connection and responsibility to all the families facing the challenges of living with ALS."

To learn more about the Ice Bucket Challenge, or to donate to the Peter Frates Family Foundation, please click here. 

About the Peter Frates Family Foundation

The Peter Frates Foundation is a newly formed 501c3 non-profit with the mission to assist progressed ALS patients and their families with the overwhelming cost of home health care. As the disease of ALS progresses through the patient's body, the employment of specialized and skilled providers is imperative for required level care assuring the stability of the patient as they continue to live in their home surrounded by the love and comfort of family and friends.

CONTACT
Dan Mazei
All Tangled Roots, for the Peter Frates Family Foundation
[email protected] 

SOURCE Peter Frates Family Foundation