NCAA honors man who inspired ALS ice bucket challenge

Former Boston College baseball captain Pete Frates, center left, and his brother Andrew, center right, pose for a photo with members of the Boston College baseball team after Pete was presented with the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, at his home in Beverly, Mass. The NCAA honored Frates who inspired the ice bucket challenge that raised millions of dollars for Lou Gehrig's disease research. Frates was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Former Boston College baseball captain Pete Frates, center left, and his brother Andrew, center right, pose for a photo with members of the Boston College baseball team after Pete was presented with the 2017 NCAA Inspiration Award, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, at his home in Beverly, Mass. The NCAA honored Frates who inspired the ice bucket challenge that raised millions of dollars for Lou Gehrig's disease research. Frates was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

By Associated Press December 13, 2016 1 min read

BEVERLY, Mass. (AP) – The Massachusetts man who inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge that has raised millions of dollars nationwide for ALS research has been honored by the NCAA.

A group that included NCAA President Mark Emmert and several elected officials Tuesday hand-delivered an award to Pete Frates, the former Boston College baseball captain who touched off the craze.

Officials with the collegiate sports organization previously said Frates would be unable to accept the 2017 Inspiration Award at its January awards celebration in Nashville, Tennessee, because his neurodegenerative disease was progressing.

The organization instead honored Frates at his home Tuesday.

Frates was diagnosed with the disease in 2012. It’s also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The ice bucket challenge raised more than $220 million when it took off worldwide on social media in 2014.