BOSTON (WHDH) - Dozens of people, including Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Bruins star Charlie Coyle, gathered in Copley Square on Monday to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
“To all the people living with ALS and their families, this is for you! Let’s find a cure! Ready? One, two, three!” was shouted over a microphone moments before everyone dumped buckets filled with ice-cold water on themselves.
Boston is where the social media trend took off.
Pat Quinn has been living with ALS for years and attended Monday’s event.
“Nobody knew the ice bucket would become a worldwide phenomenon,” he said. “But we united as one and that is what it takes to knock out a disease like ALS.”
Quinn says the ice bucket challenge connected him to Pete Frates, who is known around the world as the inspirational force behind the challenge, was also on hand for the special event.
“I needed a young man going through what I was to encourage me, support me, and give me the inspiration I needed to get out there and inspire change,” Quinn said. “You did that for me, Pete.”
The challenge went viral in 2014 and has since raised millions of dollars for research on Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“Since then, more than 20 million people have donated to or created a fundraiser all because of what you guys started,” said Facebook’s director of social good, Emily Dalton Smith.
Frates, 34, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the age of 27. He has been a leader in the fight for a cure since 2012.
The Boston College Athletic Department announced last month that it was naming a new indoor baseball and softball facility in honor of Frates.
Frates, who graduated in 2007, once served as captain of the Eagles baseball team.
What started as a fun challenge to bring awareness to ALS, it raised millions of dollars which experts say is bringing them closer to a cure.
“We are going to see a cure and it is because of what happened in Boston,” said ALS Association CEO Calaneet Balas.
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