On Sunday November 5, my roommates and I formed a team to participate in the Pete Frates 5K held at Pete’s Park in Beverly, Massachusetts. Since Pete Frates was originally from Beverly, where Endicott College is also located, Endicott sponsored 50 participants to “run, wheel, or walk 3 for #3”(“Pete Frtes 5K”).
Pete Frates was #3 as well as a captain for Boston College’s baseball team. He continued his baseball career in Europe, but in 2012 when he was 27, Pete was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “ALS …is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord”. As a result of this, the muscles do not receive enough “nourishment” and therefore deteriorate, depriving the brain of its control over mobility or speech (“What is ALS?” ). ALS is progressive, meaning it will continue to worsen, but the progression depends on the person.
To raise money for the ALS Association and for other associations, the Ice Bucket Challenge was established. Pete advocated the Ice Bucket Challenge and played an important role in its popularity and success. In its first year in 2014, $220 million were collected; $115 million of the funds were donated to the ALS Association and from that $89 million was used to support ALS research and lead to the discovery of “at least four genes that contribute to the disease” as well as a new drug called “Radicava”, which is “the first new treatment approved specifically for ALS in 22 years” (Marcelo).
The Pete Frates 5K we participated in raised money “to transform the park into an all-inclusive, multi-use, integrated park that meets the ADA’s (American’s with Disability Act) standards of accessible design”. The park was renamed from Lynch Park to Pete’s Park and will be a place for people with all abilities to enjoy (“A Park for Pete”). As Endicott students, we felt it was necessary to support this cause, as it is important to Pete Frates and his family as well as the Beverly community.
Works Cited:
A Park for Pete, www.petespark.org/.
Marcelo, Philip. “Pete Frates: I will bounce back.” Boston.com, The Boston Globe, 3 Oct. 2017, www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/10/03/als-patient-behind-ice-bucket-challenge-i-will-bounce-back.
“Pete Frates 5K: Run, Wheel, Walk 3 for #3 - 2017 Online Registration.” North Shore Timing Co., North Shore Timing Co., www.northshoretimingonline.com/reglive2017.aspx?eventyear_id=1390.
“What is ALS?” ALSA.org, www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F.
