NCAA president Dr. Mark Emmert joined Pete Frates in Boston earlier this week to present the former BC baseball player with the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award. Frates was honored with the award due to his work in raising awareness of ALS.
Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2012, became a household name thanks to his work in promoting the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Frates and his family were a driving force in turning the Ice Bucket Challenge into a viral sensation.
The Ice Bucket Challenge ultimately raised over $220 million for ALS research in 2014. That money has already helped ALS researchers to make progress in fighting the disease, as they recently discovered one of the genes that relates to ALS.
Frates was unable to travel to receive his award, so Emmert came to him in order to present him with the honor.
Congratulations to Pete from all of us at BCI!