The Ice Bucket Challenge took the internet by storm back in the summer of 2014. The premise of the viral social media phenomenon was to challenge your friends on video to dump a bucket of ice water over their heads, to promote awareness for the motor neuron disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS for short.

Pete Frates was a driving force in the viral social media campaign. Pete, a former Boston College baseball player learned he had ALS in 2012 and recently passed after a heroic battle to the disease on Monday, December 9, 2019. His rendition of the challenge with Vanilla Ice’s song, “Ice Ice Baby” in the background sparked the campaign and helped to raise more than $100 million dollars towards fighting ALS.

The ALS Association website states:

“The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a tremendous event in our Association’s history, raising $115 million in the summer of 2014. Not only did it bring awareness to this devastating disease, it importantly spurred a huge increase in our research budget. Since the IBC, we have committed over $96.4 million toward our mission, including over $84 million in research projects.”

The viral sensation may be a thing of the past, but the effects of the campaign and legacy of Pete Frates live on. Follow the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Progress or donate today.