‘Frates women are strong’: Julie Frates shares message ahead of last ‘Plunge 4 Pete’ ALS fundraiser
The widow of the Beverly native and champion for ALS awareness said she’s challenging her mother-in-law Nancy Frates.
At the end of the month, Julie Frates will plunge into the frigid waters off Gloucester, wearing the red, white, and blue bikini she had on when she met her late husband and champion of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Pete Frates.The 34-year-old Beverly native died last week after his “heroic battle” with the degenerative disease and was honored for his work raising awareness and funds for finding a cure for the illness, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He leaves behind his wife, Julie, and their young daughter, Lucy.“Our house is empty,” Julie wrote on Facebook Tuesday. “The debt left behind from years of around the clock nursing care is overwhelming, but so is your support. So, for the first time I hauled myself out of bed this morning in our quiet house and thought, “What would Pete do?” He would face this all with bravery, and trust that the universe would respond.”Frates announced that she is challenging her mother-in-law Nancy Frates — the “mother of all mother bears, fundraiser of all fundraisers, force of all forces” — ahead of the last annual “Plunge 4 Pete” on Dec. 28, on what would have been her husband’s 35th birthday. For the last eight years, the polar plunge has been held to raise money for ALS research.“This past week has been one of mixed emotions,” Nancy Frates wrote, announcing that it would be the final year. “We have, however, decided that this year’s plunge will be our last. Honestly our hearts were not totally into it these past couple of years knowing that Pete could not attend and that he was back home in bed. So this will be the final PLUNGE 4 PETE. With that, we want to HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK! There’s no I’m going to do it next year!”
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Julie Frates said it is the first year she will be participating.
“I too will be plunging for the first time ever, to make a dent in this debt,” she wrote. “I usually ride in the car with Pete and walk beside his chair as we travel over the bridge at Good Harbor Beach. But this December 28th, on Pete’s 35th birthday, I will don Pete’s favorite red white and blue bikini that I wore when we met on the fourth of July, eight years ago. I will show Lucy that although everything has changed, us Frates women are strong, and WE WILL NOT BE AFRAID TO BE GREAT.”
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