Red Sox launch ALS Ice Bucket Challenge—round two
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took your Facebook News Feed by storm last year. And it’s back again.
The entire Red Sox team, including manager John Farrell, participated in a leaguewide relaunch of the challenge with its co-founders Pete Frates and Pat Quinn at Fenway Park on Friday.
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Red Sox executive vice president Charles Steinberg said the event was done beautifully with the full participation from the players, making it a touching experience.
“When you have a guy on the field amid a sea of Major League Baseball players, and that fellow on the field hit a homerun into the right field bullpen in the baseball Beanpot and then later played at spring training for Boston College against the Red Sox and whose path to the majors was thrown this awful, wicked curve by ALS,’’ he said of Frates presence. “And yet here he is, among the players, having hit a grand slam last year and coming up to bat yet again this year. It’s a remarkable story of achievement and perseverance against the worst of odds.’’
The relaunch was done in partnership with MLB. Steinberg said the process began last September when outgoing commissioner Bud Selig met Frates at an event at Fenway honoring the departing commissioner.
“It continued with Commissioner [Rob] Manfred, who personally embraced this family and has committed to sustain the effort to raise funds and raise awareness,’’ he said.
The Red Sox are the first of the 30 MLB teams participating in the challenge. They have challenged the Los Angeles Dodgers, Zack Brown Band, and, of course, Red Sox Nation.
During the event at Fenway, Steinberg said there were many emotions on the field with the presence of Quinn, Frates, and his family.
“There you had a little toddler celebrating her 11 month birthday, and that’s Pete and Julie Frates daughter Lucy,’’ he said. “And you have Hanley Ramirez going out of his way to pick her up and hold her in his arms next to David Ortiz. And your mind wanders to 50 years from now when you hope ALS has been long vanquished and you imagine Lucy Frates being honored on the field at Fenway Park, knowing how her father and mother changed the world. It was that rich with emotion and inspiration and imagination.’’
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Red Sox in the Baseball Hall of Fame:
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