Pat Quinn, a co-founder of the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, has died. Quinn, 37, passed away Sunday after a seven-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often called Lou Gehrig’s disease. His death was confirmed by the ALS Association.
“We are deeply sorry to share that Pat Quinn passed away today. Pat was co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and an inspiration to millions of people around the world,” the ALS Association said. “Pat fought ALS with positivity and bravery and inspired all around him. Those of us who knew him are devastated but grateful for all he did to advance the fight against ALS.”
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Quinn, who lived in Yonkers, New York, was diagnosed with ALS just a month after his 30th birthday in March of 2013. According to the ALS Association, following his diagnosis, Quinn “decided he wanted to make a difference in the ALS community” and established a group of supporters, “Quinn for the Win,” to raise awareness and funds for the fight against ALS. The group remembered Quinn as “a blessing to us all in so many ways” and said they will “always remember him for his inspiration and courage in his tireless fight against ALS.”
After seeing the Ice Bucket Challenge on social media feeds of the friends and family of the late Anthony Senerchi, Quinn and his Quinn for the Win supporters, along with Pete Frates and his Team Frate Train supporters, turned the challenge into a social media sensation. The challenge involved people pouring a bucket of ice water over their heads and challenging others to do the same while urging donations for ALS research. It raised $115 million for The ALS Association and over $220 million around the world for ALS research and “dramatically accelerated the fight against ALS, leading to new research discoveries, expanded care for people living with ALS, and significant investment from the government in ALS research,” according to the ALS Association. As a result of their contributions, Quinn, Frates and Senerchia were honored as “ALS Heroes.”
Speaking to a crowd gathered in Boston, Quinn said “nobody knew the Ice Bucket Challenge would become a worldwide phenomenon.” He said that while the challenge “connected with a sweet left hook to the jaw of ALS and shook the disease up… by no means is this fight over. We need to knock this disease out.”
Following the Ice Bucket Challenge, Quinn went on to continue to raise awareness about ALS, which affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Along with speaking to groups around the country, he continued to host an Ice Bucket Challenge every year. He also created a social media campaign motivating people to “FindUrSmile.”
