Pete Frates' Idea 'Completely Changed Everything' For ALS Research, Says Trenni Kusnierek

Hannah Uebele is a producer for Under the Radar with Callie Crossley and previously worked as associate producer for Boston Public Radio. She graduated from Tufts University with a B.S. in English and Environmental Studies. She's a proud Delawarean but has found herself saying "wicked" more and more often, so the Bostonian metamorphosis is well underway.Contact: hannah_uebele@wgbh.org

December 10, 2019

Updated August 07, 2023

Pete Frates, who raised millions of dollars for ALS research by starting the Ice Bucket Challenge, died on Monday at the age of 34. Sports reporter Trenni Kusnierek joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to speak about Frates and the legacy he leaves behind.

"Up until the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014, the ALS foundation really struggled to get awareness and raise money. But it went from a foundation that struggled to raise money, to one that raised close to a billion dollars," Kusnierek said. "The Ice Bucket Challenge completely changed everything, and it was Pete's idea."

Frates handled his diagnosis with grace and determination, Kusnierek said.

"Imagine being in your mid-20s ... and finding out that you're diagnosed with ALS, which unfortunately still is a death sentence," she said. "Pete Frates had two options: You can succumb to the disease, or you can fight as incredibly hard as you can and use it for good, and he did the latter."