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Man who inspired ice bucket challenge receiving NCAA award

The Central Valley School Board took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge after their regular board meeting Monday, Aug. 25, 2014, in Spokane Valley, Wash. Pictured here are MJ Bolt, Chairwoman Amy Mason and Keith Clark. The group promised a donation to the Gleason Foundation and challenged the school boards of Freeman, East Valley and West Valley school districts to do the same at their next meetings. (Lisa Leinberger / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press

BEVERLY, Mass. – NCAA officials plan to hand deliver an award to the former Boston College baseball captain who inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge that raised millions of dollars for ALS research.

The collegiate sports organization says Pete Frates is unable to attend an awards celebration in Nashville, Tennessee, this January to accept the 2017 Inspiration Award because the neurodegenerative disease is progressing.

So NCAA President Mark Emmert and NCAA honors committee chair Dr. Michael Benson will present the award to him at his home in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Frates was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2012. The disease, also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, weakens muscles, impairs physical functioning and has no cure yet.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised more than $220 million when it took off worldwide on social media in 2014.