Co-founder of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge dies from ALS

Patrick Quinn, co-founder of the viral ALS Ice Bucket challenge, has passed away after an extended battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, reported Deadline. 

Quinn shot to viral fame after coming up with the Ice Bucket challenge to raise awareness about the progressive nervous system disease that is characterised by loss of muscle control. He was 37 years old.

The Quinn for the Win Facebook page shared the update about Quinn’s death, posting, “It is with great sadness that we must share the passing of Patrick early this morning.  He was a blessing to us all in so many ways. We will always remember him for his inspiration and courage in his tireless fight against ALS.”

A New York native, Quinn was diagnosed with ALS in 2013 and founded the challenge in 2014 with Pete Frates, who also passed away from the disease last year. The two had seen professional golfer Chris Kennedy’s video of himself dumping a bucket of ice water on his head, featuring his wife’s cousin Jeanette Senerchia, whose husband had ALS. They asked others to do the same or to make a donation to charity, effectively bringing light to the otherwise ignored disease.

Paying tribute to Quinn for bringing attention to ALS, the official ALS Association Twitter account wrote, “The Ice Bucket challenge dramatically accelerated the fight against ALS, leading to new research discoveries, expansion of care for people with ALS, and greater investment by the government in ALS research.”

(1/4) We are deeply saddened to share that Pat Quinn, co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge passed away at the age of 37. Pat was diagnosed with ALS in 2013 and went on to help popularize the greatest social media campaign in history. pic.twitter.com/c5PiZHRZbE

— The ALS Association (@alsassociation) November 22, 2020

“Pat continued to raise awareness and funds for the fight against ALS and our thoughts are with the Quinn family and all of his friends and supporters. He will be missed, but he will continue to inspire us until we have a world without ALS,” read the tweet.

The challenge was a worldwide phenomenon in 2014, with millions taking part including A-List celebs like Oprah Winfrey, LeBron James, Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Lady Gaga, and many other. It also managed to raise a staggering $220 million for ALS medical research.