GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Hundreds of people plunged into the chilly ocean at a Massachusetts beach on Saturday to honor Peter Frates, the former college baseball player whose battle with Lou Gehrig's disease helped spread the ALS ice bucket challenge.
About 1,000 people showed up for the final "Plunge for Pete" at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, and more than half of those braved the frigid waters on what would have been Frates' 35th birthday.
The event, in its eighth year, raised money for the Pete Frates #3 Fund, which helped pay for Frates' medical bills.
"He is laughing so hard right now at me getting into the ocean," said Frates' wife, Julie, who participated in the plunge for the first time wearing the bikini she had on when she first met her husband. "This is the best birthday
