Sports

Hundreds gather to celebrate opening of Pete's Park in Beverly

After a busy week in Boston with celebrations throughout the city, hundreds gathered for one more on Friday to commemorate the opening of Pete's Park.

Pete Frates, a former Boston College baseball player who has become a household name during his battle against ALS, opened a new park on Friday, specifically designed for anyone to use.

The park, fittingly named "Pete's Park," has been in the making for years, and heavy hitters in the area, including Gov. Charlie Baker, were in attendance as the whole idea became a reality.

The main mission was to make sure the park was accessible for anyone, of all ages and all disabilities.

"Me and Pete used to come down here and play street hockey and what not," Pete's brother Andrew Frates said. "Over the years, it has accumulated some rust and other things, so it's amazing what Courtney [Melei] and the whole Friends of Pete’s Park department has done to really transform this for the next generation of Andrew's and Pete's of this neighborhood."

The opening had a special guest drop by, as well, as the Red Sox made sure the World Series trophy made a stop at the park on its victory tour around New England.

"It's amazing," Andrew Frates said. "Not just the Beverly community, the entire Boston and Massachusetts community has really supported Pete since day one."