Pete Frates Named One Of Sports Illustrated's 'Inspirations Of the Year'
BOSTON (CBS) – A social media campaign for Sports Illustrated to honor "Ice Bucket Challenge" inspiration Pete Frates as its Sportsman of the Year was unsuccessful. But Frates' efforts raising money for ALS research didn't go unnoticed as he was honored by the magazine celebrating the top people in the sports world for 2014.
Frates was recognized as Sports Illustrated's "Inspirations of the Year" on Tuesday night during a gala in New York City.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner took home Sportsman of the Year honors for his dominant postseason performance.
"Pete, thank you for being here, you're an inspiration to me and my family and the world and it's an honor to be in your presence," Bumgarner said about Frates.
This summer Frates became the inspiration for the massively successful Ice Bucket Challenge.
Frates, a former Boston College baseball player who suffers from Lou Gehrig's Disease, helped raise more than $100 million for ALS research as a part of the Ice Bucket Challenge.
During the social media campaign, participants were challenged by Facebook users to dump a bucket of ice water over their head, donate to ALS research, and challenge other friends to keep the movement going.
Pictures on the Team FrateTrain Facebook page show Frates at the SI gala meeting Bumgarner and Little League sensation Mo'Ne Davis, who was named Sports Illustrated for Kids' "Sportskid of the Year."
"Our hero Pete in NYC at SI Sportsman of the year with Madison Baumgarner and Mone Davis! So proud! #strikeoutALS," the post reads.
The Team FrateTrain Facebook page is continuing efforts to raise money for ALS research. The page has nearly 44,000 followers.
Former president Bill Clinton also attended the gala, and said Frates' work will impact generations to come.
"I want to acknowledge Pete Frates who inspired all of us with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge - that was a really good thing to do. I sadly lost a number of friends to ALS," Clinton said.
"Someday, thanks to the human genome research and other medical achievements, we will unlock the mystery of ALS. And when that happens, all of you who are still around can remember the ice bucket challenge and how it impacted us."
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