5 for Good: Ray Bourque teams up with Frates family to fight ALS – WCVB Boston

Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque was born Dec. 28, 1960.On the same day in 1984, Pete Frates was born.The inspiration for the ALS ice bucket challenge, Pete Frates was famously the captain of the Boston College baseball team, but his mother Nancy Frates said he loved hockey too."Pete was on skates by age four or five, and his hero was the captain of the Bruins," she said.Bourque remembered a meeting he had with Pete Frates shortly after he was diagnosed with ALS.We were talking about how can we raise money for ALS," Bourque said. "You just couldn't help yourself to be inspired and to be so impressed with this young man."His words, Nancy Frates said. We are going to get to work, and we are going to change the trajectory of this disease. August of 2014, wasn't that the trajectory change in this disease?"That was the summer of the ice bucket challenge. Pete Frates died in 2019."With Pete's passing, it was just a no-brainer and something that really hit me hard that I wanted to keep Pete's memory and everything that he was about alive," Bourque said.Bourque started a family foundation six years ago. The inaugural Bourque Family Foundation Captain's Ball in honor of Pete Frates will be held Sept. 28.Funds raised will support the ALS community and research. Nancy Frates said there has been progress in finding treatments, but more needs to be done. That requires continued funding."We just need people to stay with us and get us there, she said. So that we can get these treatments to the patients."Pete Frates' cousin, Jim Frates is the chief financial officer of Cambridge-based Amylyx, a biotechnology company developing therapies for ALS.He said joining Amylyx felt like a calling. He understands the urgency.Every day is special when you're living with ALS and it has to be," he said. "Pete, and all the folks who are working so hard to find a cure, help inspire me and all the people at Amylyx to try and do our part too, to kind of live on that ALS clock and be relentless in our pursuit of the cure."Nancy Frates said she remembers Pete Frates' doctor estimating the money needed to develop a cure was a billion dollars. She said that didn't phase Pete."He pointed right at her (and said), I'm gonna get that for you, she said. And he walked out the door.""Pete was always captain of his (sports) teams and he showed why, Bourque said. He could just rally and find a way.Find information about the Bourque Family Foundation Captains Ball in honor of Pete Frates here.

Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque was born Dec. 28, 1960.

On the same day in 1984, Pete Frates was born.

The inspiration for the ALS ice bucket challenge, Pete Frates was famously the captain of the Boston College baseball team, but his mother Nancy Frates said he loved hockey too.

"Pete was on skates by age four or five, and his hero was the captain of the Bruins," she said.

Bourque remembered a meeting he had with Pete Frates shortly after he was diagnosed with ALS.

We were talking about how can we raise money for ALS," Bourque said. "You just couldn't help yourself to be inspired and to be so impressed with this young man."

His words, Nancy Frates said. We are going to get to work, and we are going to change the trajectory of this disease. August of 2014, wasn't that the trajectory change in this disease?"

That was the summer of the ice bucket challenge. Pete Frates died in 2019.

"With Pete's passing, it was just a no-brainer and something that really hit me hard that I wanted to keep Pete's memory and everything that he was about alive," Bourque said.

Bourque started a family foundation six years ago. The inaugural Bourque Family Foundation Captain's Ball in honor of Pete Frates will be held Sept. 28.

Ray Bourque Family Foundation

Funds raised will support the ALS community and research. Nancy Frates said there has been progress in finding treatments, but more needs to be done. That requires continued funding.

"We just need people to stay with us and get us there, she said. So that we can get these treatments to the patients."

Pete Frates' cousin, Jim Frates is the chief financial officer of Cambridge-based Amylyx, a biotechnology company developing therapies for ALS.

He said joining Amylyx felt like a calling. He understands the urgency.

Every day is special when you're living with ALS and it has to be," he said. "Pete, and all the folks who are working so hard to find a cure, help inspire me and all the people at Amylyx to try and do our part too, to kind of live on that ALS clock and be relentless in our pursuit of the cure."

Nancy Frates said she remembers Pete Frates' doctor estimating the money needed to develop a cure was a billion dollars. She said that didn't phase Pete.

"He pointed right at her (and said), I'm gonna get that for you, she said. And he walked out the door."

"Pete was always captain of his (sports) teams and he showed why, Bourque said. He could just rally and find a way.

Find information about the Bourque Family Foundation Captains Ball in honor of Pete Frates here.

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5 for Good: Ray Bourque teams up with Frates family to fight ALS - WCVB Boston