Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
"Band Together To Strike Out ALS" Launches for Second Year
January 09, 2017 | Baseball
Goal to raise awareness and funds for ALS and Pete Frates
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – For the second straight year, former Boston College baseball captain and ALS patient and advocate Pete Frates is calling on baseball teams across the country to band together to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
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In 2016, Frates and his family launched "Band Together to Strike Out ALS" to encourage teams to wear a special wristband in May, which is ALS Awareness Month, to raise awareness for Lou Gehrig's Disease, which Frates was diagnosed with in March 2012.
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Band Together to Strike Out ALS was formulated by the Frates family, BC head coach Mike Gambino, Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter and CollegeBaseballInsider.com co-founder Sean Ryan. The wristbands read "Strike Out ALS" and feature Frates' initials and number (PF3) and are available for purchase here. Proceeds from the wristbands support the fundraising efforts of Frates.
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"Our hope is that college baseball teams around the country will join one of their own in striking out this dreadful disease," John Frates, Pete's father, said when launching Band Together to Strike Out ALS.
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BC, and all the Atlantic Coast Conference programs, donned the wristbands during the final weekend of the 2016 ACC season. In addition, the Boston Red Sox joined the Eagles in wearing the wristbands in the exhibition game in February. Across New England, college, high school and Little League teams supported Frates and raised awareness by wearing the specially-designed wristbands. Collegiate teams from the Big 12, MAC and Southern also participated.
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Frates played outfield for the Maroon and Gold from 2004-07. He and entire support system, dubbed "Team FrateTrain," work to raise ALS awareness, education and funds for research. In 2012, the Pete Frates #3 Fund was established to help subsidize medical care and expenses not covered by health insurance. Later, the Frates ALS Research and Support Fund was developed to provide funding for targeted ALS research and to help support those afflicted with ALS in need.
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In the summer of 2014, Frates championed the Ice Bucket Challenge through the use of social media. Along with the amount of awareness brought to ALS, over $220 million was raised to help find a cure. He was awarded the Sports Illustrated's Inspiration of the Year in December of 2014 and the SportsCenter documentary detailing his journey was nominated for an Emmy. In November 2016, Frates was named the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award recipient.
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In 2016, Frates and his family launched "Band Together to Strike Out ALS" to encourage teams to wear a special wristband in May, which is ALS Awareness Month, to raise awareness for Lou Gehrig's Disease, which Frates was diagnosed with in March 2012.
Â
Band Together to Strike Out ALS was formulated by the Frates family, BC head coach Mike Gambino, Wake Forest head coach Tom Walter and CollegeBaseballInsider.com co-founder Sean Ryan. The wristbands read "Strike Out ALS" and feature Frates' initials and number (PF3) and are available for purchase here. Proceeds from the wristbands support the fundraising efforts of Frates.
Â
"Our hope is that college baseball teams around the country will join one of their own in striking out this dreadful disease," John Frates, Pete's father, said when launching Band Together to Strike Out ALS.
Â
BC, and all the Atlantic Coast Conference programs, donned the wristbands during the final weekend of the 2016 ACC season. In addition, the Boston Red Sox joined the Eagles in wearing the wristbands in the exhibition game in February. Across New England, college, high school and Little League teams supported Frates and raised awareness by wearing the specially-designed wristbands. Collegiate teams from the Big 12, MAC and Southern also participated.
Â
Frates played outfield for the Maroon and Gold from 2004-07. He and entire support system, dubbed "Team FrateTrain," work to raise ALS awareness, education and funds for research. In 2012, the Pete Frates #3 Fund was established to help subsidize medical care and expenses not covered by health insurance. Later, the Frates ALS Research and Support Fund was developed to provide funding for targeted ALS research and to help support those afflicted with ALS in need.
Â
In the summer of 2014, Frates championed the Ice Bucket Challenge through the use of social media. Along with the amount of awareness brought to ALS, over $220 million was raised to help find a cure. He was awarded the Sports Illustrated's Inspiration of the Year in December of 2014 and the SportsCenter documentary detailing his journey was nominated for an Emmy. In November 2016, Frates was named the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award recipient.
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