Still Freezing for a Reason. NWN Carousel Supports Peter Frates Family Foundation at the 10th Anniversary Ice Bucket Challenge at Fenway Park.

On a scorching 90+ degree morning at Fenway Park on August 1st we hosted 500 employees and members from the broader Boston community together with legends from sports, medical research, and ALS advocates to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge.

A decade ago, Pete Frates ignited a global movement in 2014 on the same field where we honored his memory and celebrated the $1 billion milestone raised since then to #strikeoutALS. His challenge became our mission that spread across 150 countries, inspiring millions to take action and support research for ALS. Back in 2014 ALS was an underfunded rare disease with no therapy's available to delay or reduce the effects of the devastating disease. The Ice Bucket Challenge was Pete's innovation that galvanized everyone to raise awareness and funds, becoming the first viral fundraising movement in history that combined the power of mobile video with new social media platforms.

Last week's event was attended by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, who highlighted our state's pioneering spirit in technology and innovation. "It's fitting that out of Massachusetts sprung the first viral fundraising movement of our time," Governor Healey remarked.

A lineup of sports legends, many with personal connections to Pete Frates, a Massachusetts native and Boston College baseball alumnus, including Sam Kennedy, President of the Boston Red Sox, Josh Kraft, President of the New England Patriots, and Ray Bourque, Boston Bruins legend, also spoke at the event.

NWN Carousel proudly continued our sponsorship of the Peter Frates Family Foundation, and we heard from Jim Sullivan our CEO at the event stating "A core mission of our company is to give back. Partnering with the Peter Frates Family Foundation is a testament to Pete's use of innovative technology in social media that ignited this groundswell. Technology, combined with brilliant minds, will tackle what seems like an impossible challenge before us."

Central to the day's events was recognizing the progress made for ALS patients in the past decade, and acknowledging how much more there is to go towards finding a cure. A groundbreaking medical trial, known as the Healey platform, represents one of the key medical advancements in the quest for a cure. Dr. Merit Cudkowicz, ALS Director at the Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General Brigham, shared how the trial is accelerating treatment development, halving traditional timelines, and improving patient access.

While we've made significant strides in the fight against ALS, Nancy Frates, Pete's mother, shared poignant reflections: "We are all here at Pete's favorite place on Earth, reminded of the work ahead."

Her words resonated as participants, including ALS researchers, athletes, and dignitaries, closed the day with a collective Ice Bucket Challenge on Fenway's field! It was evident that beyond the cheers and laughter, the movement ignited by Pete Frates must be carried forward by a new generation willing to drive progress against ALS.