DANVERS, Mass. — A celebration of life was held to honor Pete Frates Monday night in Danvers. Members of the community were encouraged to attend the event, which was held at St. John’s Prep, where Frates went to high school and graduated in 2003.
Hundreds gathered at the reception honoring the legacy of the Beverly man who helped inspire the Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised hundreds of millions of dollars for ALS research. Frates parents told Boston 25 News that the event was not only about honoring Pete’s life, but also about continuing his mission to find a cure for ALS.
“Everybody asks us all the time, ‘hey how are you doing this, how are you keeping it up?’” said John Frates, Pete’s father. “We’re just average people who had an amazing son, so we have to honor him in any way.”
“We’ve been really blessed this past week to revisit those real character-building stories and the Pete before ALS, the Pete that was brought to the world of ALS,” said Nancy Frates, Pete’s mother.
Pete’s parents say this last week has been incredible, as loved ones and friends have gathered to remember their son and the huge legacy he leaves behind.
Related: Pete Frates, who helped raise millions for ALS research, laid to rest
After graduating from St. John’s Prep, Frates went on to play baseball at Boston College. At age 27 he was diagnosed with ALS and was given just a few years to live.
“He charged us with taking this awareness campaign and bringing it to the max,” John Frates said.
Pete inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge that spread worldwide and helped raise millions for ALS research. But now that he’s gone, his parents hope his mission continues.
“ALS needs to be a thing of the past,” Nancy Frates said. “The greatest hope that we have is that comes sooner rather than later.”
Pete’s mother says they have some amazing therapies on the horizon that they’d love to bring to market soon for ALS patients. The family hopes the world will keep giving in honor of their son to find a cure once and for all.
“You poured water over your heads, we’re so grateful for that, you brought in all this money that stimulated and funded all this research, and now the clinical trials are here,” Nancy Frates said. “We got to get it to the patients as quickly as possible, and that’s the next piece.”
There’s a way you can help raise money for ALS in the near future. The Frates family will continue to hold Pete’s Plunge on Saturday, December 28 on what would have been Pete’s 35th birthday. The school also encouraged anyone interested in joining Frates’ mission to make a donation to the Peter Frates Family Foundation.
Frates died December 9 and was laid to rest on Friday.
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