Pat Quinn, Co-Founder Of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Dead At 37

Pat Quinn, a co-founder of the ALS ice bucket challenge that raised more than $200 million globally for Lou Gehrig's disease research, has reportedly died.

Quinn, 37, of Yonkers, New York, passed away on Sunday after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, otherwise known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, dating back to 2013, the ALS Association confirmed in a statement shared on its website.

“Pat fought ALS with positivity and bravery and inspired all around him,” the statement read. “Those of us who knew him are devastated but grateful for all he did to advance the fight against ALS. … Our thoughts are with the Quinn family and all of his friends and supporters. Pat was loved by many of us within the ALS community and around the world.”

Quinn first saw the ice bucket challenge on social media when pro golfer Chris Kennedy challenged his wife's cousin Jeanette Senerchia, whose husband had ALS, to take a bucket of ice water, dump it on her head and post the video on social media while daring others to do the same or make a donation to charity. Quinn and co-founder Pete Frates worked with teams of supporters to help popularize the challenge with a key focus on raising ALS awareness.

The Ice Bucket Challenge went on to raise $115 million for the ALS Association and more than $220 for ALS research, which lead to new research discoveries, expanded care for people battling Lou Gehrig's disease and provided a significant investment from the government in ALS research, according to ALS.org.

Frates, 34, a Massachusetts native and former captain of the Boston College baseball team, died after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease in 2019.

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