Pete Frates celebrated at Endicott College ground breaking ceremony

BEVERLY, Mass. — A local hero was honored with a special ceremony late Tuesday afternoon in his hometown.

Pete Frates inspired millions of people and started the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS, a disease he suffers from.

Now his name will forever be a part of a college campus in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Pete’s wife Julie told FOX25 this is the biggest dedication they have ever gotten.

“It's hard to find your way, find your path, but just remembering when you set your mind to something, it's truly always possible,” said Julie. “Pete is the epitome of hard work and courage.”

A building at Endicott College is now named after Pete, the former Boston College baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012, when he was just 27-years-old.

Julie unveiled the former residence hall, now called, Peter Frates hall.

“For me, it’s mostly just because it hits close to home because my family member has it” said Kaylee Zubhuca, a freshman at Endicott College.

Moments after the dedication, 2,000 students did the Ice Bucket Challenge in honor of him.

“It was very cold, but I don't care,” Isabella Sears, a freshman at Endicott College, said. “It was absolutely for him and everyone with ALS.”

The president of the college, Dr. Richard E. Wylie, said the Frates’ daughter will now have free tuition, room, and board to the college.

Cox Media Group