The man who helped to create the viral ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge” to raise money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research died Sunday, according to NBC News.
Patrick Quinn, 37, passed away from ALS after being diagnosed with the disease shortly after his 30th birthday in 2013.
Patrick Quinn, co-creator of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, has died aged 37. https://t.co/QCipISXEdn
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 23, 2020
Quinn was admitted to the hospital shortly before his death for trouble breathing, NBC News reports.
“The Ice Bucket Challenge connected with a sweet left hook to the jaw of ALS and shook the disease up,” Quinn said to a Boston crowd in 2019.
Quinn co-created the “Ice Bucket Challenge” alongside Peter Frates and Anthony Senerchia who have both since passed away from the disease, reports NBC News.
The challenge encouraged participants to donate to ALS research after completing the challenge. The trend raised over $220 million for global ALS research.
Notable participants of the challenge included Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, and former President George W. Bush, among others, NBC News reports. (RELATED: George W. Bush Takes The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Nominates Bill Clinton [VIDEO])
“It 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,” the ALS Association said in a statement Sunday.